We'll Fight Fire With Fire
by fallen509
Summary: Sequel to "It Only Takes A Year." Rayan and company are all ready to face Death and find out what exactly Rayan is. But is Dean ready to let his little girl go? And what about Jack Devlin, the newest addition to Sioux Falls?
1. He's No Billy Northman

"I don't like this," Dean complains to Bobby and Sam as he listens to the sound of Rayan and Alabama moving around upstairs. All three men are crowded around the kitchen table, the oldest Winchester nursing a beer while Sam and Bobby try to help Carson guide a pencil into creating his name.

"Dean, she's going to a bonfire. Not a brothel," Sam sighs as he glances up at his brother in annoyance. "You need to relax."

"Yeah, Uncle Dean," Carson chimes in with a smirk. "_Relax_."

Dean narrows his eyes at the six-year-old, and he mentally curses himself for teaching the kid how to be so damn cheeky. Carson pays no attention to his uncle's stare, and instead giggles softly and returns his attention to Sam, who is patiently demonstrating the proper techniques to construct an "r."

But Bobby is still studying Dean. "What exactly has you so worked up, son?"

"I just don't think she'll be safe," the oldest Winchester groans as he stands from his seat at the table and begins to pace in the small kitchen. "She's only seventeen and there's still the threat of a demon attack looming over her head. We're being complacent."

A shit-eating grin plays across Bobby's tired features. "Complacent, Dean? We using big words now?"

"Oh shut up," Dean growls, throwing a middle finger up at the old man quickly.

Sam throws a piece of wadded up paper at his brother, bitch face present in full force. "There's a kid in the room, Dean! Watch it."

Dean only waves a hand in Carson's direction in a sad excuse for an apology, earning a sigh from Sam who promptly turns towards his son and explains every reason _not _to use that particular hand gesture like his idiot uncle.

"All right Dean," Bobby says from his own chair. "Now that we have the bull excuses out of the way, let's get to the real reason. You're just mad that in less than an hour, there will be a teenage boy on the doorstep coming to pick up your little girl."

"No," Dean scoffs in denial, even though it's obvious to anyone in the room that the oldest Winchester is lying through his teeth. And Bobby lets Dean know that he's not fooling anyone. "Okay, so maybe that is the reason. But can you blame me? Look at what happened last time she was asked out!"

"You have got to let her grow up a little bit, boy," Bobby sighs as he rubs a hand over his face. "She's not five years old anymore."

"I just don't want her to get hurt."

Sam glances up from Carson's sloppy letters and looks at his brother. "None of us want Ray to get hurt, man. But we can't keep her in a little bubble for the rest of her life either. It doesn't work that way."

The kitchen door bursts open at that moment, revealing Lucas and Andy, both of whom have grease stains on their hands and lower arms.

"Mr. Martin can officially change a tire!" Lucas exclaims proudly as he claps Andy on the back. "Just be glad we didn't try it out on the Impala."

Andy rolls his eyes and walks towards the kitchen sink. "The Impala would have been fine. There wasn't even a mark left on the Chevelle. Now, I want to hear more about this discussion about Ray that we walked in on."

"There is no discussion," Dean complains. "I just don't think this bonfire is a good idea."

"Actually, I don't either," Lucas agrees, plopping down in a chair and taking a swig from the oldest Winchester's abandoned beer bottle. "I think she should have a chaperone or something."

"I will _not _be taking a chaperone!"

The loud exclamation echoes throughout the kitchen, and all eyes turn towards the entryway where Rayan and Alabama are standing with their arms crossed. Both Dean and Lucas have enough decency to look mildly ashamed, but it's Andy that speaks up first.

"You look beautiful, Ray," he says as he dries of his freshly clean hands and walks over to his best friend, wrapping her in a gentle hug. "You're going to knock Nick off his feet."

Rayan doesn't think she's dressed much different than she normally is. Just a black tank top underneath her leather jacket with a worn pair of jeans. But there must be something different, if the way everyone in the room is looking at her stands as something to go by.

"Okay, stop looking at me like that! It's creepy. Now I'm going on this date and that's final." Rayan demands as she maneuvers her way around the kitchen. She grabs a glass and fills it with water just before grabbing a pill bottle sitting on the counter. Then she makes her way towards Bobby. "Here Gramps, it's time for your meds."

"This stuff doesn't do any good," Bobby complains as he swallows down the three capsules. "And it tastes like horse-"

"It does help, Grumpy, and you know it," Rayan laughs as she bends down and plants a kiss on her grandfather's cheek. "Now, if we're all done debating _my _social choices, it's time to lay down some ground rules."

"Ground rules?" Deans asks with a raised eyebrow. "Last time I checked, I was the father and you were the child. I'm pretty sure I get to lay down the ground rules."

"When it comes to my safety you have almost full control," Rayan agrees with a nod of her head. "But when it comes to how you're going to act when Nick gets here, you don't have a choice."

There is a staring match between father and daughter for a moment, where the silence stretches on with all the other occupants in the room watching. And the stare off probably could have lasted all night between the two most stubborn of the Winchesters, but a car horn blares from the driveway outside making everyone jump.

"Oh, I bet that's Nick. I'd better go." Rayan takes a step forward and places a kiss on her father's cheek before making her way out of the kitchen. "I'll see you when I get home!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Dean interrupts, following his daughter towards the front of the house. "He's not even going to come to the door? Only douche bags honk the horn and make the girl walk out to his car."

"Dad, this is the twenty-first century in which chivalry is dead."

"It is not!" Dean protests loudly. When Rayan just stares back at him expectantly, he sighs and shakes his head back and forth. "Be home by eleven thirty, make sure you have your Colt on you, and _for the love of God_ be careful."

"I will be, Daddy," Rayan agrees as she wraps her arms around her father's midsection in a hug. "I love you."

"Love you too, short stuff."

Dean watches as Rayan bounds out the front door and into the large and way-too-expensive SUV sitting in the driveway. He watches his daughter climb into the front seat and buckle before the vehicle pulls away from the house. He even watches until he can't see the red taillights down the road anymore.

"She's just going on a date, Papa Winchester," Alabama says from behind Dean, startling him slightly.

"But why's she going with that guy?" Dean asks in disgust. "He didn't even come to the door. I thought you said this Nick Mills was a good guy?"

"I didn't say he was a good guy," Alabama clarifies with a smile. "I just said he wasn't Billy Northman."

For some reason, that admission doesn't make Dean feel any better.


	2. All For an iPod

Jack Devlin had just wanted to pick up his iPod.

He hadn't planned on staying at the bonfire longer than five minutes, because being the new guy in town was bad enough without showing up to a party where no one knew who you were.

But sadly, Jack had made the mistake of leaving his iPod behind at the hospital earlier that afternoon and David, a nice enough guy that Jack worked with, had picked up the piece of machinery. Normally, Jack would have waited until both he and David were scheduled to work together again, but he really needed his iPod for the work he needed to do on his grandfather's farm in the morning.

So when David suggested that Jack meet him at the bonfire to pick up the device, the Devlin boy reluctantly agreed.

So that's how Jack found himself threading though the crowd of partying teenagers, many of which were carrying around plastic red or blue cups. Country music blasted through big speakers sitting in a truck bed, and Jack could feel the warm memories of the summer nights back in Texas, filled with similar bonfires with the same type of people. Only here in South Dakota, Jack didn't feel the same need to join in the fun.

"Hey Jack!" a deep voice calls from the center of a group of obviously drunk teenagers. "Glad to see you man!"

The voice belongs to David, who is peeling himself away from an overly friendly brunette. The girl reluctantly allows the light-haired boy to worm out of her grasp, but pouts all the same.

"Some party y'all have going on here," Jack comments with a nod towards the dancing teens around the fire.

"I'm sure it's nothing compared to the ones in Texas," David responds with a lazy grin. "But I'm glad you came anyway."

Jack shakes his head back and forth quickly as he shoves his hands into the front pockets of his favorite jeans. "I can't stay, man. I just need to grab my iPod from you."

"Nonsense!" David exclaims loudly as he flings an arm around the other teen's shoulders. "Have a beer and stay awhile. Find a chick. I'm sure Missy over here can hook you up with one of the freshman cheerleaders."

Jack tries really hard to keep the disgust from his voice at the way David is offering up girls like appetizers. "No, I'm good. Really. Just hand me my iPod and I'll get out of your hair.

"Whatever, dude. It's your loss," David sighs as he reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out the device that's causing Jack so much trouble. The teen quickly snags the iPod from David's hand and pockets it before giving the other teen a nod in thanks.

He wastes no time in turning around and heading back through the throng of dancing and inebriated teenagers. All Jack really wants to do is get in his truck and head home.

But it seems the world is working against him tonight, because just as he pushes through the last of the crowd a smaller, yet solid body crashes straight into him, successfully spilling beer down his front.

"Shit," Jack curses as he jumps away from the other person and tries futilely to wipe away the liquid.

"Oh hell, I'm really sorry," a light voice responds in a slightly slurred tone. Delicate hands are fluttering lightly over jack's chest as if they're not quite sure what to do. "I'm such a klutz."

Jack lifts his head to reassure the girl that everything's fine, but his voice sticks in his throat as soon as he fully sees the girl in front of him.

She's got long, dirty blonde hair that's slightly messy, as if she's been running her hands through it in agitation. She's kind of short, Jack notices, but she's toned. An athlete maybe? She's got a long, thin scar above her right eye that stands out in the slight glow of the bonfire. But none of these features are what really catch Jack's attention, because Texas had plenty of these pretty girls.

What Texas didn't have was this girl's eyes, because he'd be damned if he'd ever seen such green eyes in his entire life. They were the shade of grass in the summer before the heat had enough time to change the blades brown. And her eyes were bright and innocent, even under her slightly buzzed state.

"Are you okay?" the girl asks as she gives Jack a concerned glance, and Jack realizes that he's been staring at her for way too long.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," Jack blurts out with a shake of his head. "No blood, no foul."

There's an awkward pause between the two teens, because neither really know how to continue the conversation. The blonde must get uncomfortable with the silence, because she shifts slightly and begins to back away from Jack.

"All right then," she says lightly. "Sorry about the shirt. I'll see you around."

Jack's not sure what possess him to do it, but he reaches out and wraps a gentle hand around the girl's upper arm, stopping her attempt to leave. "Do I know you?" he asks, because the more he looks at the teen, the more she looks familiar to him.

"Uh no, I don't think so," she responds, glancing from Jack's arm up to his face. And just as her green eyes meet his blue, Jack knows where they've meet before.

"You're the chick from the hospital!" he exclaims, jumping back and pointing an accusing finger at the blonde. "The one that clocked me!"

The girl looks stunned for a moment, and then completely worried the next. "Shit," she mumbles under her breath quietly. "Listen, I'm sorry about that. I was just in a hurry and…well I obviously wasn't supposed to be there."

"I don't want to know why you were there," Jack says with a small laugh. "I just want to know where you learned to throw a punch like that. I had a black eye for two weeks!"

The blonde just stares at Jack like he's crazy. "You're not made that I knocked you out?"

"Nah," Jack denies with a shake of his head. "What's done is done, all things considered. It makes for a great story. Not many people can say that got knocked out by a beautiful girl in a hospital hallway."

The girl blushes and smiles slightly, shaking her head back and forth. "Well, I'm glad we got this little mystery all cleared up, but I'd better be going. Nice meeting you, hospital boy." The girl doesn't get very far however, because as soon as she turns her back towards the bonfire she wobbles unsteadily and stumbles to the ground clutching her head.

Jack reacts immediately, taking a step towards the girl and crouching down in front of her. "Hey, you all right?" he asks in concern as he watches the girl blink her green eyes rapidly.

"Head rush," the blonde groans from her position on the ground. "Note to self, drinking is not fun."

Jack laughs quietly at the girl's statement and offers her a hand. The girl takes it and allows Jack to pull her up off the ground, but leans heavily into his chest for support. Not that Jack really minds, of course. And if he holds her there a little longer than necessary, neither of them complains.

"I guess I can't handle my alcohol," the girl jokes lightly as she closes her eyes in a way that Jack can only assume is to fight off a growing sense of nausea.

"You do look like a lightweight," Jack agrees with her as he gently guides her towards his nearby truck. Once they reach their destination, Jack lowers the tailgate and gently lifts the girl up onto it. "I think I should go find your ride so they can take you home," he offers.

"Don't bother," the girl rejects sullenly. "My ride ditched me an hour ago."

"They just left you here?" Jack asks in shock. Back home, he would have gotten his ass kicked for leaving a girl alone. Especially if she was tipsy.

"Not they," the girl corrects with a wave of her hand. "He. And I should have known better. Getting invited to one of these things by the football star was too good to be true."

"Well if you ask me, the moron must be blind," Jack says seriously to the girl sitting on his truck's tailgate. "He obviously doesn't understand what he left behind."

The girl just stares at Jack for a moment, as if she's trying to figure him out through her alcohol-induced fog clouding her mind. "You're new around here, aren't you? You have to be, or else you wouldn't still be talking to me." She tries to hop down from the tailgate, but Jack stills her movements by placing strong hands on her shoulders. "You're going to tarnish your reputation," the girl argues as she turns her large green eyes towards Jack.

"I ain't too worried about what people think," Jack shoots right back. "Do you have someone coming to get you?"

"I hope not," the girl responds with a shaky laugh. "My dad's going to kill me when he finds out I've been drinking. Add that to the fact that I'm definitely out past my curfew, well…" The girl trails off as she starts to clutch at her head and stomach simultaneously.

"Starting to feel sick?" Jack asks with a small smile, because this isn't the first drunk person he's dealt with in his eighteen years.

"Let's just say that I haven't felt like this since my Gramps tried to cook lobster," the girl groans. "I'm never drinking again."

Jack lets out a laugh at the girl's expense, but doesn't comment further. Instead, he offers up another idea. "Why don't you let me give you a ride home?"

The girl is quick to shake her head back and forth in refusal, even with her current state of nausea. "I don't even know your name," she denies.

Jack blinks in surprise at that revelation, because he feels like they've been talking long enough that he must have mentioned his name. But then he also realizes that he doesn't know this green-eyed girl's name either. "The name's Jack Devlin," he offers, holding his hand out for the girl to shake. "It's nice to meet you."

The girl eyes Jack with a smile before slowly reaching up and grasping his hand. "Christo," she mumbles under her breath, and Jack shoots her a funny look.

"Christo? Your parents named you Christo?"

The girl lets out a burst of laughter before shaking her head back and forth. "God no," she denies with a smile. "Christo is Latin. I'm Rayan Winchester."

* * *

><p><strong>HEY GUYS! <strong>

**Sorry this story took me so long to get posted, but I was in South Carolina all last week on vacation. So I decided to post two chapters today. So I hope you all enjoy!**

**Fallen.**


	3. A Beetle's Eyes

"Do you always mumble Latin words, or is that just when you meet someone new?" Jack asks with a smirk.

"Only if I really like them," Rayan dishes right back, and Jack is a little embarrassed to admit that a slight blush creeps up his cheeks at her words. Jack gets so lost in trying to diminish the redness from his face that he almost misses Rayan thrusting her cell phone towards him.

"Call Andy in the contact list. Let him know you're bringing me home, and that he needs to distract my dad."

Jack nods and quickly hits send for Andy, who happens to be the first name on the list. It only takes one ring for the line to be picked up and an extremely stressed male voice to flow through the speaker.

"Rayan Elizabeth Winchester, where in Castiel's name are you?" Jack tries to interject, but the guy keeps ranting. "You're two hours past curfew and your dad's about ready to blow a gasket. It's taking everything in Sam's power to keep him from bringing down the wrath of every hunting connection he has on your head. But even Sam's starting to get pissed with you. And he's the rebellious Winchester!"

There's a pause from the other end of the conversation, and Jack takes advantage of the momentary silence. "Uh, is this Andy?"

The response to a voice other than Rayan's is immediate and startling.

"Shit!" Andy yells on his end of the line, loud enough that Jack has to pull the phone away from his ear. He can make out the sounds of an exasperated, muffled female voice and scraping furniture. Then Jack's voice is back to yelling at him. "Get the hell away from Ray! Christo, Christo!"

"Woah, woah," Jack tries to soothe as Andy continues to freak out on the other end. "Listen Andy, my name is Jack Devlin. I'm at the bonfire and Rayan here is…a little sick. She told me to call you and let you know I'm bringing her home."

"And why can't Nick bring her home?" Andy asks suspiciously.

Jack sighs and turns his back to Rayan in an attempt to conceal his answer from her. "He kind of left her here, I guess. I don't know the full story, but what I do know is she's tipsy and stranded. I swear you can run a background check on me after I get her home, because you seem like the protective type."

Andy lets out a puff of laughter on the other end. It's not necessarily amused, but rather acknowledging the truth in Jack's words. But the guy is quick to bring his anger back to the surface. "That bastard," he growls. "I knew going out with that jock strap was a bad idea. Listen, can you put Ray on the phone?"

Jack pulls the cell phone away from his ear and turns around to face Rayan, who is currently sitting on the tailgate of his truck with her head in her hands. He gently nudges her shoulder and when Rayan looks up and sees her phone outstretched towards her, she doesn't even try to stop the roll of her eyes.

"Idiot," she grumbles as she holds the phone up to her ear. "I'm fine, Andy. I'm just a little tipsy…you so did _not _tell me going on this date with Nick was a good idea…your exact words were 'he's a hot piece of ass, so you should tap that,'…whatever, just do me a favor and make sure Dad knows I'm coming home, and that I'll be in a red 1975 Ford. And not to shoot."

With that, Rayan snaps her phone shut and focuses her attention on Jack, who can tell that he's giving the other teen a strange look.

"What?" Rayan asks with a scowl on her face.

Jack allows a small smile to cross his face before answering. "Well first off, that was probably the oddest one sided conversation to ever listen in on. And two, I'm starting to think that driving you home is going to be a dangerous job."

Rayan playfully smirks, and Jack's breath catches at the sight of her sparkling green eyes. "Mr. Devlin, everything about me is dangerous. Now help me down off this tailgate and drive me home before my dad has a coronary."

Rayan reaches out her hands and places them on Jack's shoulders, who in return places his own hands gently on Ray's waist and lifts her off of the tailgate. Rayan continues to hang on to Jack after her feet hit the ground, but it's not like he's going to complain any time soon.

Jack's not sure what it is about this girl, but he's had all of a thirty-minute conversation and he feels like he's addicted already. It's Rayan's smile, and her charm, and damn if those green eyes don't make his chest feel like it's ripping open every time she looks at him. Rayan Winchester has managed to captivate him without even trying.

Jack guides Rayan along the side of his truck and helps her up onto the bench seat within the cab. After she's settled in, Jack reaches around her and buckles the seatbelt, blushing at how close he is to the girl. He silently thanks God that it's dark out so she can't see him turning into a tomato before her very eyes.

After Jack climbs into his own side of the vehicle, he turns the key and elicits a growl from the truck's engine. Then, he focuses a smile on the girl sitting next to him. "So, where am I taking you?"

"To the stars," Rayan is quick to respond with a giggle, which promptly turns into full-blown laughter at Jack's confused look. "Titanic?"

"Never watched it," Jack replies with a shrug.

Rayan's mouth falls open in shock at the other teen. "Never?" she questions in disbelief. "But…your name's Jack, and…not even for Kate Winslet's boobs?"

Jack blinks at Rayan a few times before softly laughing at the girl's use of boobs as a rational reason for a man having watched Titanic. "Not even for Kate Winslet's boobs."

"Well if we're going to be friends, I cannot allow you to remain this uncultured," Rayan plainly states. "Tomorrow afternoon, assuming my father hasn't killed me, you're coming over to experience the genius that is James Cameron."

Jack can tell the moment Rayan realizes just what she's said, because her green eyes widen and her mouth falls open slightly. Before he can even manage to get a word out, the other teen is speaking at a rate of a mile a minute.

"Obviously you don't _have _to come over if you don't want to," she begins as she gestures wildly with her hands. "I mean, I was just being a smartass and you barely know me. Plus, I'm kind of weird and hanging out with me will kill your reputation so – "

"Rayan," Jack cuts in with a soft laugh. "Relax, okay? I think it'd be awesome to have my first Titanic experience with you. But in order to do that, I have to get you home first. So, where am I really taking you?"

Jack watches in amazement as a soft smile spreads across Rayan's face, and her green eyes light up with happiness. When she speaks, her voice is filled with genuine trust. "Singer Salvage. It's off Route 18, about a mile from the highway."

"Singer Salvage it is."

* * *

><p>"So you're a Texas boy, huh?" Rayan asks Jack, who is absently tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of a Garth Brooks song as they drive down the highway.<p>

Jack sends a short glance towards the girl next to him and then nods his head. "Born and raised. How'd you know?" he asks, because Jack is positive he's never mentioned it.

"There's a little Texas flag in the bottom corner of the windshield," Rayan offers quietly. "That coupled with the chivalry and the slight accent helps point out where you're from. Most people wouldn't notice, though. Me and my family just travel a lot."

Jack smiles at the little piece of information Rayan has given him, and he decides that it can't hurt to try and wrangle out a little more. "So did your family travel for business or fun?"

He catches the way Rayan's shoulders tense at the question, but she's quick to recover. "Definitely not for fun," she states with a smirk. "I guess you could say it's more or a…traveling operation my dad runs when things are slow in the garage. He's a mechanic. Anyway, back to you and why in the hell you would move to South Dakota."

Jack's not stupid, and he recognizes the change of subject for what it is. He doesn't push it, and instead willingly answers Rayan's question. "Both of my parents are English professors, and they took jobs at the college. Decided the new payroll was worth the movie. Plus, my grandpa owns a far not too far from here that we're helping him out with."

"Are you talking about the community college?"

"That's the one," Jack replies with a nod of his head. "How'd you know?"

"My uncle is a professor there," Rayan replies with a soft smile. "He teaches Latin and Demonology. It's generally pretty hard to get into his classes because everyone wants him as a professor."

Jack gives Rayan a slightly odd look out of the corner of his eye. "Demonology? Your uncle teaches about Satan's minions?"

"Among other things," Rayan responds with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's not nearly was weird as it sounds. Uncle Sam takes a more…realistic approach. Less religious, more 'this is what demons would be like if they walked among us.'"

"That's cool, I guess," Jack offers with a smile. "He makes the fact that both my parents teach English seem kind of lame."

Rayan quickly shakes her head back and forth in argument. "Trust me, I wish that my family wasn't so unique sometimes. Relish the fact that your parents have normal jobs."

"I think being a mechanic sounds pretty normal," Jack comments, raising an eyebrow in the girl's direction. "Unless that's just in Texas."

For the first time that night, a silence falls between Rayan and Jack. And he's not really sure why the girl sitting next to him has become so quiet all of a sudden. He chances another glance in her direction and notes that she's got her bottom lip in between her teeth.

Jack's not sure if he's said something wrong, but he can't imagine mentioning that a mechanic being a normal job could ever be a _bad _thing. But on further inspection of Rayan's face, he sees that she's not angry or upset. She's nervous, which is even more confusing.

"This is the exit," Rayan suddenly says, pointing towards the next off ramp. Jack has to do a quick lane change to make it on time, but soon enough he's pulling off the highway and onto Route 18, and Rayan's previous silence is forgotten,

"The driveway's going to be on the left," she says quietly. "There's a big sign, so you can't miss it."

"Yeah, okay," Jack replies, keep his eyes on the road ahead of him. "Singer Salvage, right?"

If Rayan had the intention of asking, she never got the chance. Because suddenly in the dim glow of Jack's headlights, the shape of a figure can be made out standing directly in front of them on the road. Jack is quick to slam on the brakes, swearing under his breath, and he's just able to bring the truck to a stop mere inches from what appears to be a middle aged man in a business suit.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" Jack exclaims out of his open window at the man, his heart still pounding from the near disaster. "Are you crazy?"

The man smiles into the truck, looking directly at Rayan. It's creepy and gives Jack the chills, and the teen automatically snakes a hand across the seat and grips Rayan's own hand that's clutching nervously at the bench seat.

"Jack, we need to get out of here," she mumbles, and the teen notices Rayan begin to reach around to the small of her back. He doesn't have time to wonder what she's doing.

"Oh, you don't want to do that," the man growls from outside of the truck where he's still standing. And as Jack studies the man, he sees something that he never thought was possible. Because the man blinks, and his eyes suddenly flicker into a solid black like a beetle's. "After all, we've been waiting so long for you, Rayan Winchester."


	4. The Knight With The Baseball Bat

"Drive!" Rayan commands, all traces of her earlier alcohol gone from her voice and posture. "Back up and get us to the highway."

The command comes to late, because Jack no sooner throws the truck into reverse and a mob of men and women make their way out of the dense line of trees on either side of the road to surround the vehicle. All of them possessing the same black eyes.

"I can't back up," Jack exclaims, looking back and forth between the…_thing _in front of his truck and the group of people smiling cruelly behind them. "What in the hell are these people _doing_?"

Rayan doesn't answer right away, instead surveying the surrounding area for possible solutions. But when she does finally answer the teen next to her, she knows her words will do nothing to comfort Jack. "They're trying to kill us."

"The hell?" Jack panics, whipping around to face Rayan. Rayan understands that he wants answers and explanations, but she has neither the time nor the energy to give them.

"Listen, Jack. I swear that if we live through this, I will tell you everything. But right now I need you to trust me when I say that you need to put this truck into drive, and run that man over."

Rayan was expecting Jack to call her crazy, or psychotic. Maybe even throw her out of the truck to the proverbial wolves. Hell, that's what she would have done had she been in his shoes.

So the last thing the young Winchester is expecting is for Jack to nod his head, shift into drive, and floor it like there's no tomorrow.

They hit the first demon with a sickening crunch, and the body goes flying up and over the truck's hood. It clears the road for the time being, but Rayan knows that their get away would be far to easy if only a few demons were standing in their way.

Sure enough, they only get about an eight of a mile down the road when Rayan catches sight of one of the smaller oak trees slowly tumbling down from its position at the side of the road, directly into the path of their truck. She has to give the demons props for their originality at the very least.

"Jack!" Rayan warns, pointing at the falling oak. The other teen mutters a curse under his breathe and slams on the truck's brakes, flinging them into a tailspin that ends just inches from the tree's solid trunk.

"Holy shit," Jack mutters under his breath, knuckles white around the steering wheel. He wants to say more, but he quickly gets distracted by the sight of Rayan hoping out of the truck's cab, gripping a handgun. Jack quickly scrambles out after her, an incredulous look on his face. "What in the hell are you doing?"

"I'm going down fighting," Rayan answers simply as she scans the surrounding area. "Do you have any sort of weapon in the trunk?"

Jack gapes at Rayan for a moment. "Weapons? No Rambo, not all of us carry around a Colt 1911 in the back of their jeans!"

Despite the situation, Rayan lets herself laugh for a moment, because if she's going to die she at least wants to enjoy her last few minutes. "I mean like a tire iron or something."

"I've got an old baseball bat behind the seat," Jack reluctantly says, reaching into the truck's cab and pulling out the well-worn length of metal.

"That'll work," Rayan agrees after she takes a quick glance at the bat. After she feels comfortable enough with Jack's form of protection, she returns her attention to the surrounding trees. It's too quiet, and the silence is making Rayan jittery. The demons should have made a move by now.

"Why in the hell aren't we getting out of here?" Jack asks in a hushed tone as he follows Rayan's lead and scans the trees. "Shouldn't we be running like –"

The teen never gets to finish his sentence.

The demons go for Rayan first, seemingly appearing out of thin air. She gets a few quick shots off, knocking the closest attackers off their feet. While they're stunned, the young Winchester mutters out a quick string of Latin words but doesn't take the time to watch as the black smoke expels from the long dead meat suits the demons were holed up in.

Instead, Rayan turns her attention to Jack, intent on helping him with his own demonic problems. But she's surprised to find that the other teen is holding his own surprisingly well considering his only weapon is a metal baseball bat.

Jack brings the bat down with a surprising strength and fluidity that would take most hunters several training sessions to perfect. But Rayan doesn't have the time to fully appreciate Jack's ability, and instead steps up close to him and repeats the same string of Latin words.

While Rayan didn't take the time to watch the black smoke fly through the air, Jack jumps back at the first screaming wails the demons let out during the exorcism. His blue eyes are wide and trained directly on the rigid bodies as the crumple and fall to the asphalt, dead.

Three more demons crawl out of the trees, including the first one that Jack ran over with the truck, and Rayan has to hold back her gag at the sight of the bones sticking out of the demon's neck and lower arm.

"You little bitch," the first demon growls. "You can't even begin to fathom how much trouble you're causing me. Those were some of my best demons you just sent back to hell."

Keeping her cool, Rayan tries to paste on the same indifferent smirk she's watched her father use several times. "I can arrange for you to join them again, if you'd like. Hell, I'd even send you and your friends free of charge."

"What in the hell are you doing?" Jack whispers harshly from beside Rayan. "Don't piss him off even more!"

Rayan ignores Jack's warning and aims her Colt directly at the demon's chest. "Now how about you and I call this a night, okay? We're both tired and a little beat up, and I'm sure all we'd like to do is go home and rest."

"The only thing that I'd like to do is rip you're heart out through your throat," the demon snarls as he and his counterparts advance on the teens. "And I will take great pleasure in doing just that."

"Shame," Rayan sighs quietly before sending two shots directly into the foreheads of the demons flanking the male. They're down for a few moments, Rayan knows, so she focuses her attention on the leader.

Her third shot, directed at the last demon's forehead, goes wide. It gives the son of a bitch just enough time to close in on Rayan and grab her wrist, giving it a painful twist at the same time he reaches out and shoves Jack down and away from them.

Rayan drops the gun with a hiss of pain, and struggles uselessly against the demon as he grips her around her throat tightly. "Now I've got you," he singsongs wickedly. "And Daddy can't save you this time."

Rayan struggles and scrapes at the large hand gripping her throat tightly, and she has the moment of panic where she knows she's going to die. She watches helplessly as the demon raises the hand not grasping her throat and runs the tip of a small blade along the lower part of one of her arms, cutting a deep gash that burns like fire.

Rayan's pretty sure that she shouldn't be so concerned with where the demon got the knife in the first place, at this point.

Just when the young Winchester's vision starts to go black around the edges and she's sure that her death is imminent, the demon's face suddenly changes from a look of pure pleasure to immeasurable pain. His fingers go slack around Rayan's throat and he begins to gasp for air, fighting as if he's the one being choked.

And suddenly, black smoke erupts from his mouth, along with the two demons that Rayan shot earlier, and after everything has gone still and silent along the road, the young Winchester catches sight of Jack standing just behind the crumpled body of the head demon.

"Rayan? Rayan!" Jack yells as he rushes towards the young Winchester and wraps his arms around her shoulders. "Are you okay? Jesus, you're bleeding. We need to get you home, or just…just away from all _this_."

He tries to get Rayan to stand up, but she fights against him, trying to get Jack to focus on her green eyes for a moment. "Jack, how did you do that?"

"Do what?" Jack asks, exasperated as he tries to pull Rayan towards his truck.

"How did you get rid of those demons?"

"Oh, that. I…I really don't know," he answers with a helpless shrug of his shoulders as he gives up on trying to guide Rayan to the truck and instead just scoops her up into a fireman's lift. "I heard you say that stuff in what I am assuming Latin. I guess my brain takes in information in stressful situations."

Rayan lets out a soft chuckle, not even trying to protest the fact that Jack has picked her up like some sort of invalid. Because truth be told, she doesn't mind being taken care of at the moment. She's too tired to worry about anything other than getting out of this area and back to the safety of the salvage yard.

She tells Jack as much, but the other teen doesn't need the instruction because as soon as he has both Rayan and her gun settled into the truck, he swerves around the fallen tree and races towards Singer Salvage yard. The trip takes less than two minutes, and Rayan can't believe that she was this close to home.

"I got blood all over your shirt," she comments softly as Jack maneuvers his truck down the yard's driveway.

"I'm pretty sure that most of it is from the peoples head's I bashed in with a bat," Jack replies, and Rayan can see the haunted look in the young man's eyes.

"God Jack, I'm so sorry," she whispers as he pulls the truck to a stop in front of the house. "I never thought something like this would happen."

Jack doesn't get the chance to reply to Rayan, because there is a sudden shout from the front of the house and Dean is racing down the porch stairs and towards the truck with Sam, Lucas, Alabama, and Andy close on his heels.

"Ray!" Dean exclaims as he throws the truck door open and wraps his daughter in a hug. "Jesus Ray, are you okay? Lucas just caught wind from the other reapers about the attack."

"I'll live," Rayan replies with a hiss when Dean's shirt sleeve rubs across the gash on her arm. She hops out of the truck and lets her father fully examine her. "Speaking of the other reapers, where were they when I was having the life choked out of me by a demon?"

"They said you weren't in any real danger," Lucas tries to explain, but the displeasure is clear on his face. "Obviously, their definition of danger and mine are completely different. I'm sorry I let you down, Ray."

"Not your fault," Ray says with a wave of her hand. "It's not anyone's fault."

"I'll be the deciding factor in that," Dean demands as he strips off his flannel shirt and wraps it around his daughter's still bleeding arm. "And please, don't think for one second that you're off the hook. I know you were drinking, and out way past your curfew. And you're totally getting your ass handed to you by way of chores. I just don't have the ability to be mad enough right now to punish you."

"Oh, that's so reassuring to hear," Rayan groans as she allows her father to start guiding her towards the house. But she stops suddenly, realizing just who is still hanging back by his truck. Quickly, the young Winchester whirls around to stare at Jack, who is leaning against the side of his red Ford with his arms folded tensely across his chest.

"Someone going to explain to me what in the hell it was that I just lived through?"


	5. He's A First Time Flyer

"I said is anyone going to tell me what the hell's going on?" Jack repeats when the Winchester clan does nothing but stare at him like he's some kind of foreign creature. The whole situation's kind of annoying, and it's quickly rubbing the Texan boy the wrong way.

The first person to break the tense silence is the tallest of the men standing outside of the house. Jack's not a small guy, but this man dwarfs the teen in comparison. "What do you think you saw?" the man asks, staring in Jack's direction.

"No, Sam," barks Rayan's father, turning his green eyes towards who Jack now knows is Rayan's Demonology-teaching uncle. "The kid didn't see anything. He's had a little too much to drink, and he imagined the whole damn thing."

"Like hell I did!" Jack argues, straightening up and advancing towards Dean. "I didn't have a single drop tonight, so I _know _that I saw those…things with black eyes trying to murder me and Ray. Hell, I _killed _a few of them."

"Kid, I'm grateful for what you did, really," Dean says quietly with a shake of his head. "But _trust me_ when I tell you to just walk away. Forget everything about tonight."

Jack just stands there for a few minutes, mouth hanging open in shock. He can't believe that Rayan's father seriously expects him to just walk away from here and act like nothing ever happened. Like it was just another normal Saturday night.

The teen opens his mouth to argue, but he's cut off by a lighter voice. "Dad, Jack has a right to know," Rayan cuts in smoothly, stepping in front of her father with a determined stare. "He saved my life and didn't even question me when I started shooting. He deserves an explanation."

"I don't think you're getting this, Ray," Dean argues. "We tell him this, and there is _no _going back. They'll come after him to get to you, now that you've been seen together."

"They're going to come after him whether he knows or not. We can tell him and then if he decides it's too much, Uncle Cas can wipe his memory."

"I'm standing right here, you know," Jack growls out in annoyance. "And I'm also more than capable of making my own decisions. So how about somebody starts talking."

Dean completely ignores Jack's interjection and turns to face his brother with a hard stare. "Sammy, help me out here man. You know this is a bad idea."

Sam shifts from one foot to the other, reaching up to scratch at the back of his head. "Actually, Dean, I don't think it's half bad. It'll be easier for us to watch out for him and his family if he knows."

"You're all bat shit, you know that?" Dean growls out with a pointed finger in his brother's direction. Then he whirls on Rayan. "That goes for you two, Rayan, no matter how much I love you. But if you want to tell him, fine. Just don't expect me to hold by my 'I told you so' when this all goes to hell."

Dean takes a step back away from his daughter and brother as he gestures wildly in Jack's direction. Rayan just stares at her father with a bemused little smile on her face until he has stilled his movements and fallen completely silent. "You done throwing a hissy fit now, Dad?" Dean just glares at his daughter, making Rayan laugh lightly. "Okay then, Jack, we've got a lot to discuss."

"I believe this discussion would be better suited in a more peaceful environment, don't you agree?"

The deep voice comes from right next to Jack, and the teen jumps back in surprise at its nearness. Standing next to him is a shorter man with dark hair and bright blue eyes wearing a tan trench coat. Jack is sure he never heard the man approach.

"Where in the hell did you come from?"

"Heaven," the man simply replies, never taking his eyes off of Rayan. He directs his next question towards the green-eyed girl. "Would you like to travel somewhere calmer?"

Rayan answers in the affirmative at the same time Dean shouts a resounding "no." The sight of the father and daughter pair turning identical green eyes on one another at the same time would have been comically if not for the fact that Jack was so damn _confused _by the whole situation.

"Stop being ridiculous, Dad," Rayan sighs with a roll of her eyes. "Uncle Cas is going to be there. It's not like anything's going to happen."

"That's what you said when you left the house earlier," Dean replies with a sharp laugh. "So excuse me if I don't really believe you."

"Rayan is right, Dean," the man who Jack now knows as Cas says in a calm monotone. "You know I would never allow any harm to come to her. However, if it would make you feel more comfortable, Alabama could travel with us."

The dark haired girl hanging back by the porch reels back as if she's been burned. "Hey now, my feathered friend. Don't be draggin' me into this family drama. I just want to go to bed already."

"I am not feathered," Cas replies with a scowl.

"Feathers are not important at the moment," Rayan demands with a clap of her hands. She then begins to address the group, turning to face each person individually. "Dad, Uncle Cas is going to take Jack and I somewhere to talk so I can explain all of this to him. Alabama, your presence will not be required. Uncle Sam and Andy, please make sure my father doesn't have the coronary in the _one hour_ we will be gone." Rayan stops and takes a breathe before turning towards the front of the house and raising her voice into a near yell. "And Gramps, for the _love of God _stop lurking behind the living room window, take your pills, and go to bed! You have a doctors appointment at nine tomorrow."

Everyone but Cas stands in shock at Rayan's demands, and no one protests her movements further when she turns and grabs Jack by the hand and drags him closer to trench coat wearing man next to him.

"So, your first time flying angel air is going to be a little weird," the blonde-haired teen speaks casually. "Just bend your knees and you'll be fine."

"Angel air?" Jack begins to say, but he doesn't get a chance to finish his sentence before the ground disappears from beneath his feet and he feels like he's going to hurl.

* * *

><p>As soon as Jack feels his feet land on solid ground again, he promptly throws up.<p>

"Oh shit, I'm sorry," Rayan murmurs beside him, running a hand along his spine in comfort. "If I didn't think getting away from the yard was so important, I probably would have given you more of a heads up."

Jack gags a few more times before straightening up and wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his over shirt. He can't help but think about what a wimp he must look like to Rayan right now, tossing his dinner up all over the place.

"Are you okay?" comes Rayan's quiet voice as she looks up at Jack in concern.

"I'll live," Jack groans as he rubs a hand across his stomach. "What was that?"

"You just flew," comes the monotone reply of Cas, who is calmly looking out over the scenery in front of him.

Jack does a double take when he realizes just what exactly Cas is staring at, and he lets out a quickly punch of laughter in disbelief. "This cannot be real," he mumbles to himself as he cautiously takes a few steps closer to the edge. "There's no way this is really the Grand Canyon."

"Actually, it is," Rayan quietly responds as she moves to stand next to Jack. "Uncle Cas used to bring me here all the time as a kid when my dad and Uncle Sam needed to be gone for more than a few days. It helped keep me calm."

"There is still no _possible _way that I went from South Dakota to the Grand Canyon in the blink of an eye," Jack demands, shaking his head back and forth. "It's not feasible."

Rayan doesn't attempt to explain further, and instead turns her gaze out over the canyon and poses a simple question to the other teen. "Do you enjoy scary stories, Jack?"

Jack just stares at the beautiful girl next to him for a moment, trying to decide if she's serious or not. Finally, he shakes his head back and forth and stumbles out an answer. "Well, I mean yeah, I guess. I enjoy Stephen King as much as the next guy."

"Well, what if I were to tell you that most of those stories were real?"

"I'd say that I should have known someone as pretty as you would be nuts," Jack is quick to reply.

Rayan lets out a good round of light laughter, throwing her head back and looking up at the night sky. It's not the reaction Jack was expecting from the girl, and he can't stop the small grin and quicken heart rate that's threatening to take control.

"I do not see the humor in that statement," Cas says from his position a few feet away, effectively breaking whatever small amount of tension-free time that had just accumulated. "Rayan, you know as well as I do that you were being completely serious."

"Uncle Cas, that's not what…I know I was being serious," Rayan responds with a sigh before turning her green eyes towards the boy next to her. "Jack, what you saw tonight was demons. Real, made-by-Lucifer, straight-from-Hell demons. They'd possessed those people, probably months ago."

Jack opens his mouth to respond and more than likely deny what he's just heard, but Rayan holds up a hand to stop him. "Just let me tell you this, and then you can ask as many questions as you want." She waits for Jack to nod his head in agreement, and only begins again after she's sure he won't interrupt her. "My family is what you would call hunters. We go after the things that go bump in the night, mainly because they're real. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts. But there are other things that most people have never even heard of, like changelings and wendigos."

Rayan steps back a couple of feet and begins to pace back and forth, arms moving as she continues her story. "And my family, along with quite a few other people in the world, hunt these monsters and kill them. But it turns out there's more than just monsters in the world. But there are also demons, like the ones that attacked us tonight. And angels, like my Uncle Cas over here."

At that, Jack can't keep his mouth shut any longer. "Wait, you're telling me that Mr. Happy over here is an _angel_. Like with the fluffy wings and a halo?"

"Your modernized version of the angel is completely ridiculous," Cas says with a growl, the first true emotion Jack's seen him display all night. "My name is Castiel, and I am a warrior of Heaven. My wings are _not _fluffy."

"We know, Uncle Cas. We know," Rayan soothes as she looks at the angel with a smile. Then she returns her focus to the confused boy in front of her. "He's a little touchy about the commercialized version of the angel. You'll get used to it."

Jack can simply nod his head and stare at the trench coat wearing man, unable to come up with the proper words to explain his utter confusion at the whole situation.

"Anyway," Rayan continues on, undeterred by the Texan boy's obvious shock. "Hunters generally fall into this line of work either by birth, or something supernatural hit close to home, and they're out for revenge. But either way it's dangerous, and generally you don't live past the ripe old age of thirty-five. My family, for the most part, has just been really damn lucky."

"Lucky would not be the word I would use," Castiel mumbles, but Rayan just sends him a glare and otherwise ignores the remark.

"So, lets say that I believe you," Jack says once he's able to form coherent sentences. "How did your family get mixed up in all of this?"

"It's kind of a long story," Rayan responds quietly, looking down at her booted feet.

"I've got time."

* * *

><p>Rayan explains everything to Jack, starting with the death of Mary Winchester, through the apocalypse, and finally ending with her and her friends' quest to summon Death. And much to Jack's credit, he takes the tale like a champ, only turning slightly pale.<p>

"So you're telling me," Jack begins quietly, blinking his blue eyes rapidly, "that those…_demons_ were after you tonight because you've got some big, bad powers. And the only way to find out what the hell you can actually do is to summon _Death_, as in long black cloak and scythe?"

"Actually, Death has a very nice cane and wears a suit, so I've been told," Rayan corrects, trying to lighten the mood. "And he's British."

Against all odds, Jack feels a small smile tug at his lips. But he quickly sobers up as the reality of what Rayan is telling him really sinks in. He runs a hand through his dark hair in exasperation and fights the urge to tug a few strands out of his skull to make sure he's not dreaming. "Well, shit," he mumbles quietly.

A gentle hand on his wrist startles him, and he looks down to see Rayan standing close to him with sad, guilty eyes. "I'm so sorry you've been dragged into this, Jack," she begins softly. "I should have known something like this was going to happen. Something like this _always _happens. But now that you know, you have a decision to make."

"And what would that be?" Jack asks just as quietly.

"You can either choose to remember everything I've told you tonight, or Uncle Cas can wipe your memory and you'll be sent home with a headache and absolutely no idea who myself or my family really is. We will, for all intents and purposes, have never met."

"Those are my only two choices?" Jack asks, not really liking either of them. He can't imagine forgetting this beautiful girl in front of him, but he also can't imagine dealing with things like demons and ghosts for the rest of his life either.

"I'm afraid so," is the only response Rayan gives Jack to work with.

He waits a few moments, staring down at the place where Rayan's small hand is still wrapped around his tanned wrist, but it only takes him a moment to decide what he has to do. Jack catches Rayan off guard when he suddenly pulls her towards him and wraps his strong arms around her shoulders. It only takes the girl a moment to respond, and she tentatively wraps her small arms around his waist in return.

Jack just hopes the hug doesn't feel like a goodbye.


	6. Teenage Rebellion

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Rayan asks Jack for what seems like the hundredth time. "Because you know none of us expect you to just agree to living with the horrors of the real world."

Jack huffs out a laugh, more fond than annoyed, and shoots Rayan a sidelong glance. "I swear, Rayan. I _want _to know about this stuff. I _need _to know about this after tonight."

"But you'll never –"

"Enough, Rayan," Castiel interrupted his niece, moving to stand in between the two teenagers. "The boy has already made himself clear on the position. Now, if you to are finished, I have to return you to Dean before he becomes even more agitated."

The angel doesn't give anyone a chance to answer before placing to fingers on each of the teen's foreheads and whisking them back to the salvage yard. The three landed (quite roughly on Jack's part) directly in front of Dean, who was pacing back and forth on the old wooden porch.

"Finally," Dean grumbles as he stops in front of Rayan and gives her a once over, ensuring that his daughter is in the same condition in which she left. "I thought you said you were only going to be gone for an hour?"

"It has been exactly fifty nine minutes and fifty five seconds, Dean," Castiel informs the oldest Winchester without batting an eye. "We are back within my specified time."

"Very funny, smart ass," Dean snaps with a glare in the direction of his angel-turned-best friend. "If you're done making jokes, I'd appreciate it if you took my kid inside. I'll walk Jack here to his truck."

Castiel nods his head and begins to usher the young Winchester towards the front door, but Rayan just scowls and sidesteps her uncle's attempt to move her. "I think I can walk him to his truck, Dad."

"And I don't really care," Dean answers with a smirk. "Now say goodnight and get your ass in the house and to your room."

Rayan debates on sticking her tongue out at her father, but decides that the childish move might just get her in even more hot water. So instead, she lets out a sigh before turning and smiling sheepishly at Jack. "I think we're going to have to postpone your lesson in American pop culture tomorrow."

"That's okay," Jack replies with his own grin. "I hear Winslet's boobs aren't that much to look at anyway. I'm sure I can hold off on seeing them for a few more days."

"And on that note," Dean interjects with a scowl, "I think it's time to call it a night. Rayan, please go inside with Cas now."

Rayan simply rolls her eyes and does what her father asks, throwing a smile and small wave over her shoulder in Jack's direction. Now all she can do is hope that her father won't kill or seriously maim him in the time it takes for the pair to get to Jack's truck.

* * *

><p>Dean waits until he hears the screen door slam before he turns to fully face the teenage boy in front of him. The kid's tall and built, and the oldest Winchester can just feel his fatherly instinct of castrate first, ask questions later kicking in.<p>

But the kid did save his girl's life, so Dean supposes he should give Jack Devlin a chance.

Jack is shifting nervously back and forth on his feet, and Dean allows a small moment of internal pride seep into his bones that comes along with the fact that he can still insight fear into people in his old age.

Even though thirty-eight is _totally not old._

"So Jack, I'm assuming that since Cas didn't wipe your memory clean, you chose to live with what you saw?"

"Yes, sir," Jack quickly answers with a nod of his head. "It didn't seem right to just forget everything, especially when a lot of those people on the road didn't get the chance to forget. They just wound up dead."

Dean is impressed with the teen. Not many people his age would be so brave. "You're what, eighteen?" Dean asks after a moments pause. When Jack nods his head, Dean continues. "You've got your entire life ahead of you, so take my advice and walk away. This life isn't for you. Hell, it's not for anyone, but people like in my family just drew the short end of the stick. You still have a chance to stay innocent."

Jack, who has been averting his gaze away from Dean's face, looks the older man directly in the eyes for the first time since Rayan retreated into the house. "With all due respect, sir," Jack begins with a new determination in his voice, "I think you're wrong. Sure, I can get in my truck and drive home, acting like nothing happened tonight, but that'd just be a bunch of bullshit. Because what kind of man would I be if I stuck my head in the sand and pretended like what I saw wasn't real. Like what I _did _tonight wasn't real. I killed someone, sir. I can't hide from that."

Dean knows in that moment that this Jack Devlin kid is going to be something special. Something that doesn't come along all the time. And as much as he hates to admit it (because he might be old, but he isn't blind), there is obviously something more between Jack and his daughter besides a young man from Texas doing the right thing. Jack Devlin just might be the one kid who could come close to being worthy of his daughter.

But no matter what Dean's little gut instinct is telling him, the oldest Winchester wants to make sure that Jack is really in this supernatural thing for the long haul. "So, since you're not cutting tail and running, what are your plans?"

"Actually, sir, I was kind of hoping you might be able to help me out with that," Jack says somewhat sheepishly. The tone sounds odd coming out of the muscular teenager. "I mean, Rayan kind of explained things, but there's still so many holes. I'm not sure _what _I'm supposed to be doing next."

Dean debates on sharing with the kid just what it's like being a hunter, all of the pain and death and near certainty of a short life. But there's still that small part of both father and older brother that stops him. Because Dean, as much as he likes Jack, doesn't want to see the kid end up with a life like the oldest Winchester's own glory days. Instead, he chooses to offer Jack an escape route.

"It's late, kid," Dean begins as he places a firm hand on Jack's shoulder and guides him down the front steps and towards his pickup truck. "So instead of explaining all this tonight, I'll make you a deal. You come back tomorrow, and I'll fill you in on all the dirty details that involve the life I used to lead, and still sometimes do. But there's something you need to think about long and hard tonight while you're at home."

Jack waits for Dean to speak his next words for all of a half a second before he becomes impatient. "Well, what are they?"

Dean laughs slightly at the teen's impatience, opening the truck door and ushering Jack inside before sobering up. "You need to realize that if I tell you this stuff, there's no going back. I'm not saying you won't have a family or an average job, but you'll never feel safe. You'll always wonder what could be lurking in the shadows, willing to take everything away from you in a heartbeat. You need to consider the consequences of knowledge, Jack, because they might just outweigh the benefits."

Jack nods, a solemn look on his face. "I understand, sir. I promise I'll think about it."

Dean can see the hesitance on the young man's face, mixed in with a twinge of fear and angry. It makes Dean's stomach settle a little, because he's sure that Jack really understood what he was trying to say, instead of being stuck in some idiotic superhero world.

The oldest Winchester lets Jack start up his truck and begin to shift into drive before calling out to the teen. "Oh, and Jack, I've got a friendly warning from a father to a hormonal teenage boy. Hurt my girl, and I will not hesitate to kill you and plant your sorry ass where no one will ever find you."

Dean smiles at the ashen face of Jack Devlin as he waves in what should be a friendly goodbye.

He's sure the kid is more terrified of him than any demon.

* * *

><p>When Dean enters the house, he is immediately bombarded with five and a half feet of Winchester.<p>

"Please, Daddy. _Please _tell me you didn't scare him away," Rayan begs pathetically as she grips her father's jacket in tight fists.

"Didn't I send you to your room?" Dean asks instead, pointedly ignoring his daughter's pleas. "Because I'm pretty sure I told you to go there."

"I figure I'm already in enough hot water as it is, so I might as well ignore another order," Rayan answers simply. "Now would you answer my question?"

Dean sighs and flops down onto the old couch in the living room. "I told him that if he really wants to know about hunting and our lifestyle, than he could come back tomorrow. We'll see if he shows up."

"You threatened to kill him, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Dean demands as he tries to keep the guilty look off of his face. He knows it doesn't work when Rayan simply raises her left eyebrow at him. "Jesus, how do you know these things?"

"Because we're basically the same person, Dad," Rayan answers as she sits down next to her father. "And if I were in your shoes I would have threatened him with bodily harm."

"Touché," Dean answers with a laugh. He throws his arm around his daughter's shoulders and that's when he catches a whiff of alcohol on his daughter's clothes, forcing the parental reality back into his line of vision. "You going to tell me what possessed you to drink all of a sudden?"

Rayan winces at the hard edge of her father's voice, but doesn't try to deny what he's saying. She knows it'd be no use. "I don't have a good reason," she mumbles out, ducking her head in shame.

"Damn right, you don't have a good reason," Dean demands, but he never removes his arm from Rayan's shoulders. "Not only are you _way _under the legal drinking age, but you also know how dangerous it is to deaden your senses like that. The attack might not have gotten so close if you were all together mentally."

"I know," Rayan answers quietly. "I just…I wanted to forget for a minute that I'm all sorts of crazy, you know? I just wanted to be a rebellious teenager for once."

"Then throw a house party or get a tattoo," Dean sighs with a gentle squeeze to his daughter's shoulders. "But don't do something that could get you killed. You don't know what it would do to me if I lost you, short stuff."

In an attempt to break the tension, Rayan burrows into her father's side and grins. "I know you'd crash and burn if I wasn't here."

Dean laughs and places a kiss on top of his daughter's head. "I'd do more than that, baby." There is a peaceful moment of silence between the pair, but it doesn't hang around long. "Since you want to do this who rebellious teenager thing, I suppose I need to act accordingly and dish out your punishment."

"Can't we just let this one slide? Just this once?"

"Hell no," Dean demands with a bark of laughter. "I'm thinking work in the shop for the next three weeks. I've got a lot of tire changes and repair jobs coming in, so some heavy lifting will do you good. Plus, your arms are starting to look a little flabby, so maybe a little bit of extra training before school in the mornings. Five thirty should be a good start time."

Dean's pretty sure he's never heard such a disgusted sound leave his daughter's mouth. "You are a cruel, cruel man, Dean Winchester."

"Hey, if you can do the crime, you can pay the time," Dean states as he pulls his daughter off the couch and maneuvers her towards the stairs. "Now get to your room. You've only got about two hours before you're wake up call's going to sound."

The groan that leaves Rayan's mouth as she climbs the stairs makes Dean's face split into an amused grin.


	7. It's Finally Time

Any chance that Rayan thought she would have of getting even an ounce of sleep is dashed when she walks into her room and sees both Andy and Alabama perched on her bed.

"Seriously guys, tonight is not the night for a heart to heart," Rayan complains as she shuffles towards her dresser and pulls out an old pair of sweatpants.

"Do you think we want to be up this late either?" Alabama snaps with an irritated scowl. "Because trust me, honey, I'd rather be curled up like barn cat in my bed right now."

Andy rolls his eyes and gives the southern girl next to him a slight shove. "What Alabama _means _to say is we've got some news for you that can't wait for the morning."

Rayan turns towards her friends with a curious gaze. "What kind of news?"

"The kind of news that you're really going to like." Andy's face has transformed form tired to excited in less than a second as he stands and pulls a stack of papers from under Rayan's bed. His bright eyes meet Rayan's, flashing with pride and excitement as he holds the papers out towards the young Winchester. "It's done."

"You're shitting me," Rayan gasps as she snatches the papers from Andy's outstretched hand and begins to riffle through them. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, Winchester. While you were out drinkin' it up, Andy and I were here figurin' out a way to summon Death," Alabama growls as a sarcastic smile slides across her face. "I hope you had fun, 'cause we sure didn't."

"_Excuse me_," Andy cuts in with a incredulous tone to his voice. "What do you mean '_we_?' As I recall, you were filing your nails and complaining about being stuck at home while _I _was busy translating an ancient language."

"Details," Alabama replies with a wave of her hand.

Rayan chooses to ignore her two friends bickering, and instead squeezes herself between them on the bed. She continues to study the papers in her hand for a moment before speaking. "So we have all the items we need…we have the translation…when do we do this?"

"Well, according to what the book said, the ritual can be performed at any time," Andy clarifies as he points to a specific line on the top paper. "There's no full moon or special holiday necessary. Just the items and the words."

"So we could do this right now?"

"Technically, yes," Andy agrees reluctantly. "But I think we should wait until we know that no one will be around. It's too risky to bring Death anywhere near here without knowing for sure we won't get caught."

"Easier said then done," Alabama gripes as she ungracefully flops onto her back. "Especially now that the demons are back on your tail. There ain't no way Papa Winchester is going to let you out of his sight."

Rayan sighs and nods her head in agreement, contemplating the problem. She knows that Alabama is right, but she also knows that there has to be some way to get her father, along with Lucas and Bobby out of the house and away from them.

And then genius strikes.

"The hospital," the young Winchester mumbles as she jumps up from the bed and runs over to the calendar on her desk. "That's it!"

"What's it, Ray?" Andy asks, wariness creeping into his voice.

"The hospital! Gramps has his final chemo treatment in six days, and I was supposed to take him because Dad has a shipment of exhaust pipes coming in to Waterton that he needs to pick up."

"I'm not seein' the connection here, Winchester."

"Say a certain Angel of the Lord tips my dad off that there's another possible demon attack on the horizon that afternoon," Rayan explains with a devilish smile. "If that were the case, Dad wouldn't let me out of the house or out of angel custody, for that matter, and he would have to go the hospital with Gramps. And that leaves no one but Lucas to drive up to Waterton to get the pipes."

"Leavin' us enough time to do the ritual," Alabama finishes with a wicked grin. "You know, Winchester, I don't think I give you enough credit. You really are a little rebel when you wanna be."

"Now hold on a minute," Andy cuts in with a wave of his hand. "We're betting the whole operation on the assumption that everyone will agree to this. Not only does Cas have to agree to _lie _to Dean, which he hates doing, but we also have to assume that Dean won't just cancel the delivery."

"God, Martin, you are such a _downer_," Alabama complains as she crosses her arms over her chest.

Andy scowls in Alabama's direction and makes a gesture of choking her with his hands. In return, the southern girl hauls back and punches Andy in the arm, eliciting a squeal of pain from the teen's mouth.

Rayan steps in after carefully placing the papers on her desk and slams a palm on each of her friends' faces, successfully driving them away from one another. "Okay children, that's enough."

Both Alabama and Andy give each other final glares, but otherwise back off. And it's Andy that is the first to speak up. "Do you really think that plan will work?"

"I think it has to, or else we did a year's worth of work and lying for absolutely nothing."

"And wouldn't that just be like pissin' in the pot," Alabama drawls with a groan. "And I didn't waste all this time just to get shot down now. We'll get everyone away from the house in six days."

"Then it's a plan," Rayan approves with a shake of her head. "I'll talk to Uncle Cas in the morning about helping us out. And Andy, if you could somehow distract Dad and Lucas while I'm explaining things…"

Andy gives Rayan an incredulous look when she brings him into the conversation. "What do you mean? How in the _world _am I supposed to do that?"

"Maybe explain to them that you've finally hit puberty, and ask for a few pointers," the southern quickly chimes in with a smirk.

Rayan has to physically keep Andy from jumping across the bed and strangling the other teen.

"Enough, both of you!" Rayan demands with a glare. "Jesus Alabama, did you take your bitch pills today? And Andy, I don't care how you distract them. Just please do it."

The young man manages to at least look a _little _guilty for his behavior, but Alabama just continues to look pleased with herself. And Rayan can't even get annoyed, because she's almost become fond of her friend's ability to crawl under everyone's skin.

"We've managed to work together as a pretty kick ass team this last year, guys. Do you think we can keep it going?" the young Winchester begs, turning her crystal green eyes on her friends in a very good interpretation of her uncle's kicked puppy look. "We just need to make it through a few more weeks."

"You know we're not going anywhere, Ray," Andy reassures with a light pat on his best friend's shoulder. Then with a teasing smile, he continues. "I think me and Williams here are just jealous of that hot piece of white knight in a red steed that saved your ass tonight."

"No shit," Alabama agrees, suddenly interested in the topic of conversation once again. "Who _was _that kid? And please tell me he has a twin."

Rayan smiles, and she can feel the blush creeping up onto her cheeks. "Well, you remember that hot janitor from the hospital I was telling you about?"

"The one you talked about nonstop for two weeks? Who could forget?" Andy answers with a smile. "Please tell me that wasn't him. Because you totally punched the janitor."

Rayan's answering grin says it all, and Andy lets out a quiet whoop while Alabama's jaw drops.

"You lucky bitch," the southern girl breathes out in astonishment. "Not only were you _not _lyin' about how good lookin' that boy was, but you meet him at some hick town bonfire, where he places the role of white knight and brings your tipsy ass home. And in between the fire and this house, he saves your damn life from a demon. You, my friend, get all the lucky breaks."

I wouldn't necessarily call Ray _lucky_," Andy disagrees with a shake of his head. "But I wouldn't mind living through a couple of her issues if it meant stumbling onto someone like _Jack Devlin_."

"You know, I'm standing right here," Rayan complains as she grabs a hold of her two friends' arms and begins to drag them towards her bedroom door.

Alabama begins to protest immediately, digging her heels into the hardwood floor. "You're not even gonna give us a little bit of detail before we hit the sack?" the southern girl asks in mock horror.

"Nope," Rayan answers as she reaches the door and unceremoniously pushes the other teens out into the hallway. "I'll tell you all about it in the morning when I can properly function."

With that, Rayan shuts the door on their annoyed faces and leans heavily against the old wooden entrance. She hates to do it, but the young Winchester turns a quick eye to the clock hanging on her far wall and groans when she sees that there is only an hour and a half until her father plans on busting down her door to wake her up.

With a sigh, Rayan changes into the sweatpants she pulled from her dresser earlier, carefully places the stack of papers underneath the loose floorboard near her closet door, and then climbs into bed without turning the light off.

Her last thought is five thirty is going to roll around way too soon.


	8. The Definition of a Hero

Jack isn't sure if he has a death wish, or if he's just plain crazy as he sits in his idling truck at the end of the driveway leading up to Singer's Salvage Yard. He has been out here for almost an hour now, just staring out of the dust-covered windshield in the direction of the house.

In the back of his mind, Jack knows that he can always turn around, back out of this driveway, and stay as far away from the Winchesters as he possibly can. And no one would blame him, considering everything they told him early this morning.

If he were sane, he would have never driven here in the first place.

But Jack can't get those gorgeous green eyes of Rayan's out of his head, even when he recalled the imagines from the attack as he sat awake in his bed after returning home. Sure, he could picture the black smoke erupting from the man's body, but it's the startling green that appeared first after all the smoke had cleared.

Jack's so far gone for Rayan Winchester it's not even funny.

So he's pretty sure he would face a hundred more of those…_demons_…if it meant just being near her. Seeing her smile at something he has said, or laugh at something he has done.

With a sigh, Jack mans up and throws his truck into reverse, easing his way down the winding driveway and ultimately sealing his fate into a whole new world.

* * *

><p>"I think you missed a spot," Dean calls to his daughter from across the garage with a smirk.<p>

Rayan whips her head around to glare at her father, smudges of oil and grease across her face. She's waxing a new Camaro for some rich city slicker who didn't realize it was necessary to check the oil in his car ever once in a while. Needless to say, the car was towed straight to Singer's from the highway and Dean thought it would a good idea to give the poor guy a free wash and wax.

Or rather, for _Rayan_ to complete the task.

"Oh, bite me," Rayan snaps out, but with no real malice. When Dean laughs, she smiles softly and returns her attention to the task at hand. "You know, Dad, I get that this is supposed to be my punishment, but you do realize that I've been working on the newest model of _Camaro _all morning right? This is like a gift."

"You keep telling yourself that," Dean answers as he shuffles through a few loose part order forms on a nearby workbench. "I'm sure that early morning run on Monday will have you thinking otherwise."

Rayan straightens out from her hunched over position and gives her father an incredulous look. "You were _serious _about that? I thought you were joking."

"Why would I joke about your punishment?"

"Because _you _don't even get up at five thirty!" Rayan answers with a wave of her hands, sending little drops of wax everywhere. "It'd be like a punishment for you too."

"I've been serving my punishment since you became a teenager," Dean jokes with a smirk, easily dodging the dirty rag that Rayan throws his way. He's sure he would have joked a little more with his daughter if it weren't for the squawk of pain Rayan lets out after tossing the rag.

Dean watches as the young Winchester brings her hand up and immediately rests it over the tightly wrapped bandaging covering the gash on her arm from the previous night's attack. The oldest Winchester had been forced to stitch the wound closed this morning, after Rayan had tried to hide the fact that it was still bleeding.

But now Dean can see that a few of the stitched must have popped open, as red splotches of blood have begun to seep through the white gauze. "Why didn't you tell me this was aching?" Dean demands as he gently wraps his hand around his daughter's arm to unwrap the bandages.

"It's not that bad," Rayan tries to assure her father as she attempts to maneuver out of Dean's grasp to no avail. "Seriously, Dad, I can handle it."

"You let me be the judge of that," Dean answers with a stern shake of his head. "Seriously, Ray, this won't heal if your not careful."

Dean finally gets all of the gauze unwound from around the gash, and frowns when he notices a few of the stitches have indeed popped. He gently guides Rayan towards the workbench and settles her into one of the tall stools before reaching around and pulling a first aide kit off of the shelf.

"You know, war wounds kind of suck," Rayan comments as she watches her father pull an antiseptic wipe and a suture kit from inside the small box. "The scars are cool, but the process leading up to them is not ideal at all."

Dean chuckles a little as he wipes the gash down with the antiseptic wipe. "I don't know whether to be happy that you do still have a few instincts of self-preservation, or if I should be worried that you think scars are so cool."

"I would probably go with worried," Rayan answers as she winces at the first bite of the needle sinking into her flesh.

"How reassuring," Dean groans out.

Their conversation is interrupted by the garage door sliding open, crunching against the gravel and dirt stuck in the old door's track.

Dean, expecting to see Sam or Bobby wandering in to see how things are progressing, is surprised to find that Jack is standing just inside the door. The kid looks nervous and a little lost, which Dean supposes is a good, all things considered.

"Uh, hello?" Jack calls out as he scans the garage, overlooking the pair sitting over by the workbench.

"Jack!" Rayan calls out from her spot on the stool before wincing at the pull of the needle from her sudden movement. "You're here."

Dean watches as the young man takes in the scene before him, his eyes immediately zeroing in on the mini-doctors office set up in the middle of the garage. Dean's not sure if he's waiting for Jack to pass out or maybe throw up at the sight of blood, but he does know he's expecting some kind of negative reaction to the not so pleasant sight.

So when the large teen practically charges over to the workbench and settles in at Rayan's other side, Dean is flabbergasted.

"Is that from last night?" Jack asks as he surveys the damage to Rayan's arm.

"Yeah," Ray answers with a small smile. "That demon did a pretty good number, huh? But it'll leave a nice scar to tell my kids about someday. Matches the one on my face."

Dean scowls at how proud his daughter sounds about her injuries, but doesn't comment. Instead he watches Jack react to Rayan's words.

"Was that from a demon too?" the teen asks as he gestures towards Rayan's forehead, studying the white line that crosses there.

Rayan laughs as shakes her head, trying to avoid moving her arm. "Depends on your definition of a demon. Alabama gave me this a little over a year and a half ago."

"Alabama?" Jack asks in confusion. "That little southern girl who was out in the yard last night?

"The one and only. And don't let her hear you calling her little. She'll eat your balls for breakfast. Ow!"

The exclamation comes from Rayan in a loud outburst, and the young girl is quick to turn an incredulous look at her father, who is holding the needle in the air with an innocent look.

"What?" Dean asks when his daughter refuses to stop staring at him open-mouthed. "You know as well as I do _why _I just stabbed you with a needle. You might be a Winchester but you're not a heathen, so don't act like one."

"Says the man who used to drink purple nurples for fun and still watches Batman cartoons on Saturday mornings."

"Watch yourself, short stuff," Dean threatens jokingly. "You also know better than to mock Batman."

At this point, Dean has finished stitching Rayan's arm back together and is working on rewrapping new gauze around the gash. As soon as he finishes, he taps his daughter lovingly on the back of her head and motions back to the Camaro sitting in the middle of the garage.

"Finish that up," he orders with a wave of his hand. "The owner will be here within the hour to pick it up, and I want it nice and dry before then. In the mean time, me and Jack here have some business to discuss."

Rayan looks like she wants to argue with her father for a moment, but seems to decide that the added hassle just isn't worth it. Instead, she turns and addresses Jack. "I'm glad you came. Dad will explain everything now, so it won't all seem so crazy. Or well, actually it might seem worse, but at least you'll know the truth."

Dean doesn't give Jack a chance to respond to his daughter, and instead clamps a hand on the young man's shoulder and directs him out of the garage, dragging the old door shut behind them.

* * *

><p><em>Bang. Bang. Bang.<em>

Dean lets off three consecutive shots into one of the old targets set up in the back of the salvage yard. They were some of his and Sam's original practice targets, made my John when they were only kids, so they don't get used much anymore. Dean has made sure to upgrade the targets in the actual target area to something better than old pieces of plywood.

After he is assured that each shot hit dead center, Dean turns and holds out the pistol to Jack. It's not his Colt, of course, because there's no way he would let some kid handle his gun. But it is one of the nicer models in the Winchesters very large arsenal.

"Give it a try," Dean demands after Jack tentatively grasps the gun. "Let's see how good of a shot you are."

Jack hesitates for only a moment, obviously unsure if Dean is being serious or not, but soon enough the teen is squaring his shoulders and taking aim.

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

Dean surveys the intended target and feels a smile crawl across his face. "So you've shot before," the oldest Winchester says as he gestures towards the three bullet holes near the middle of the target. "Not quite perfect, but pretty close. I'll take a guess and say you've been hunting before."

"Yes, sir," Jack answers with a quick nod of his head as he lays the gun down carefully on an old tire nearby. "My granddad took me deer hunting with him all the time back in Texas."

"Shooting's a good skill to have," Dean simply states in response.

After that, the silence settles in between the two like a thick fog. Dean schools his features into that of indifference as he methodically fiddles with the gun Jack had left abandoned on the tire. But he also watches the teen from the corner of his eye, and almost laughs when the young man starts to fidget back and forth.

Finally, Jack breaks the tense silence. "Mr. Winchester, I know that –"

"It's Dean."

"Excuse me?" Jack asks, a little confused.

"Call me Dean," the oldest Winchester clarifies as he turns to face the teen. "My father was Mr. Winchester."

"Oh, uh…okay," Jack answers softly. "Then…_Dean_, I was wondering…well…you said you'd tell me everything if I came back."

Dean sighs and places the gun back on the tire. "I guess I did."

The oldest Winchester motions for Jack to follow him before heading over to an old Dodge Dakota sitting useless a few yards away. Dean slides onto the hood of the old rust bucket and waits for Jack to join him before breaking into his tale.

After all, it's not a tale he wants to tell twice.

* * *

><p>Jack sits silently on the hood of the Dakota, staring blankly at the man next to him. In the last forty minutes, Dean Winchester seems to have aged twenty years. And yet the older man still manages to hold every ounce of heroism that Jack used to admire about characters like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood when he was a kid.<p>

"You saved the world," Jack says softly in response to the tale he's just been told. "You're like…a hero."

"No," Dean denies with quite a bit of malice. "That's where you're wrong, kid. I'm not a hero. This life I lead isn't glamorous or heroic. It's shit, plain and simple. I've killed people without knowing if they were really the things I should be hunting. I've lied and cheated and stolen my way through life. I raised _my daughter _in this world. Heroes don't do that."

Jack stays silent for a moment, studying a small anthill at the on the ground in front of them. He's not sure what he wants to say, really. Jack knows that he wants to try and explain to Dean Winchester all of the reason why he _is _a hero, but nothing he can come up with in his head seems fitting.

It isn't until Dean gets off the Dakota's hood with a sigh that Jack finally speaks.

"Is that all you see yourself as?" This must catch Dean's attention, because he's turning back around to face the teen with an inquisitive and slightly shocked expression. "I feel bad for you, sir, if it is."

"And why's that?" Dean asks in a defensive tone.

"Because you must not see yourself the way everyone else has to," Jack replies. "I've literally known you for less than forty-eight hours, and I already see a man who gave up _everything _so that his little brother could live. I see someone who taught his daughter how to be strong, and smart and capable of taking care of herself, even when she's terrified."

"You don't know what you're talking about, kid," Dean disagrees with a shake of his head as he makes to walk back towards the garage. "This isn't the life for you after all, so just go home."

Jack refuses to be deterred. "I see a man who took in two teenagers when they needed help; when no one else would take care of. And I see a guy who had to make way too many sacrifices in his life, but still made them because it meant saving thousands of people who could really give a rat's ass about _Dean Winchester._ So I'm sorry, sir, but I see a hero."

Dean doesn't turn around, but he also doesn't continue forward either. Instead, Jack watches as he stands with his head bowed, a hand carding through his short hair. It seems like an eternity, but finally Dean turns and faces the teen, his mouth set in a grim line.

"Be here tomorrow morning at nine-thirty. We'll start with hand-to-hand and then maybe some gun work. Bobby can help you with the exorcisms and lore in the afternoon."

Jack doesn't know whether he wants to shout for joy or run a few laps around the salvage yard, so instead he settles for a quick nod of acknowledgment. "I'll be here," he assures the older man.

But before Dean can get too far away from the Dodge Dakota, Jack slides off the hood and runs in front of the older man, skidding to a halt. Dean lets out a sigh of amusement before addressing the teen. "Something you need, kid?"

"Uh, well…yeah, actually," Jack stammers out. Suddenly Dean Winchester seems much more intimidating than he did back on the hood of the car. "I was kind of wondering…well, I was hoping that….could I take your daughter out on a date, sir?"

Dean stares at Jack for a moment, his face a perfect mask of calm, before suddenly breaking out into a large bought of laughter. "Shouldn't you be asking Ray that question?"

With that, the oldest Winchester walks away still laughing, and Jack assumes that he just got the okay from a demon-hunting father to date his seventeen-year-old daughter.

If only Jack knew what he was getting himself into.

* * *

><p><strong>I apologize that this update has taken so long to get from my computer to you, my faithful friends.<strong>

**I just started my junior year of college last Monday, and have been swamped with work for my twenty hours of classes, plus my various jobs. So in fair warning, these updates will probably be coming slower than normal until my next break from school for the winter. But I promise you that THEY ARE STILL COMING! :) **

**Anyway, I appreciate it so much that people are still interested enough in the story to send me little reminders that I need to update, and I hope you all enjoy.**

**Until next time, my friends.**

**Fallen.**


	9. The Emerald Dress

He's not spying.

Dean Winchester is not spying on his teenage daughter through the kitchen window.

Oh, who is he trying to kid? He is totally spying on Rayan and Jack.

Dean isn't stupid. Rayan is smart, strong willed, and one of the most beautiful creatures to ever grace the face of this earth. Dean also knows that Jack Devlin isn't stupid, and that the teen can see the exact same things that the oldest Winchester can.

But it's still painful for Dean to gaze out of the kitchen window above the old sink and watch the brilliant smile light up his daughter's face as Jack so very obviously asks her out on a date. Even if the kid is as red as a tomato by the time the words slip out of his mouth.

"Never thought I'd see the day when Dean Winchester was allowing a boy to woo his baby girl."

Lucas's sudden appearance next to Dean startles the oldest Winchester, and he automatically grips the sink a little tighter in his hands to stop his gut reaction to swing first and ask questions later. "Yeah well, the kid did save her life. I guess I owe him one."

"That and you kind of admire his acceptance of death-by-protective-father just by coming back here this afternoon," the reaper singsong's back as he nudges Dean in the ribs. "Oh, look at that! They're hugging."

"They're what?" Dean demands as he whips his head back around to spy on the teens some more. Sure enough, Rayan has her arms thrown around Jack's neck in a tight embrace, her grin nearly shattering her face with its size. "I'll kill him," Dean growls as he shoves away from the sink.

Lucas reaches out and wraps a hand around Dean's bicep, successfully stopping the man before he can go charging out to murder the poor boy. "Slow down there, Rambo," Lucas admonishes jokingly. "It's not like they're making mini-Winchesters out there."

Dean chokes on his own spit at the reaper's words and spends the next thirty seconds hacking up a lung. "She'd better not be making _anything _until she's at least sixty!" he growls once he can properly breathe again.

Lucas just laughs and releases his hold on Dean's arm. Both men turn to look back out of the window and the oldest Winchester is dismayed to see that Jack has climbed into the cab of his truck and is waving casually at Rayan as he puts the truck into drive and heads down the old dirt path leading towards the road.

Dean watches as Rayan stares down the driveway after the old red truck. As soon as it's around the corner, Rayan jumps up and throws both fists into the air while letting out a shriek that could break glass. Dean struggles to hold back a groan at seeing how happy his daughter obviously is about being asked on a date by Jack,

"Looks like she's happy," Lucas comments idly as he plays with a loose string at the hem of his shirt. "You going to let her go?"

"Of course I'm going to let her go," Dean replies with an unhappy sigh. "I mean look at her. She's obviously over the moon. And Jack's a good kid, all things considered."

Lucas opens his mouth to answer, but is interrupted by the back door flying open and an incredibly happy Rayan bursting into the kitchen.

The teen immediately runs straight for Dean and throws her arms around his neck. The oldest Winchester stumbles a little, but catches himself on the counter and squeezes his daughter back gingerly. "I know I'm awesome, but what's all this about?" Dean asks as he pats Rayan on the back, a smile creeping onto his face.

"I know he asked your permission, Dad," Rayan answers as she buries her face in the crook of his neck. "And I know you hated giving it to him. So thanks."

Rayan pulls back from her father and pecks him on the cheek quickly. Then she's spinning out of the room and up the stairs faster than Dean can blink, leaving the oldest Winchester and Lucas staring after her in a mix of awe and amusement.

"Are you sure she's yours?" Lucas deadpans as he turns a questioning eye in Dean's direction.

"I ask myself the same thing every day," the oldest Winchester simply responds.

* * *

><p>"For the millionth time, Ray, you look fine," Andy groans as he flips through the latest issue of <em>The New Yorker<em> while he lounges on Rayan's bed. "Jack's going to be blinded by your radiance when he sees you."

"That's not reassuring at all," Rayan worries as she smoothes her hands down the emerald green dress she has chosen for the evening. It falls just below the knee with a flow that only summer dresses can manage. To top the look off, Rayan chose to throw her black leather jacket and combat boots on as well, but now she's worried that she looks to tough. "What if I scare him away?"

"The boy killed demons, learned about the supernatural, and flew Angel Air for you. A leather jacket isn't going to scare him away."

Both Rayan and Andy jump at Lucas' sudden presence in the room, but it's only Andy that seems flustered. This makes Rayan turn a skeptical eye at her best friend, and she mentally vows to get to the bottom of the boy's blush tomorrow. But for now, she's got a reaper to deal with.

"Lucas, do I look okay?"

The reaper groans but walks over to his charge and places calming hands on her shoulders. He gently turns Rayan so she is facing the mirror, and then rests his head on her shoulder to send her a sly grin.

"Do you want to know what I see, Rayan Winchester?" Lucas asks quietly as he smiles at their reflection. "I see a girl who is going to knock Jack Devlin speechless when she walks down the stairs. I see a girl who is strong and badass, yet as devastatingly beautiful as the stars themselves. And I see a girl who does _not _need to worry about what this boy will think, because he's already crazy about her."

Rayan smiles softly at the reaper's reassuring words and reaches up to grasp one of his hands in her own. "Thanks, Lucas," she says softly, and the reaper just pecks her cheek in return before turning to face the young man still gaping on Rayan's bed.

Lucas approaches the bed and sticks it out for Andy to take. "I think we should give the lady a few minutes of privacy to finish up, don't you agree?"

Andy can simply nod his head dumbly and grasp the reaper's hand, making the formerly pink blush flare a bright crimson. Rayan has to stifle her giggles at what has now become apparent as Andy's first major crush. It's admittedly cute.

Lucas is tugging Andy towards the bedroom door, but stops just shy of entering the hallway before turning around with a mischievous look on his handsome face. "I should probably mention that while you don't have to worry about scaring Jack off, you might want to worry about the three men and a southern girl doing just that for you."

Before Rayan can answer, Andy and Lucas are out the door, the reaper's cackling laughs echoing down the old hallway.

Suddenly, Rayan can't finish getting ready fast enough.

* * *

><p>Jack rings the doorbell at exactly 7:59 p.m. and then waits anxiously for someone to open the old wooden door.<p>

When he does finally look down, he's not expecting a three and a half-foot-tall head of brown shaggy hair to greet him with what Jack supposes is supposed to be a menacing look on his face.

_Carson_, Jack mentally notes.

"You're early," the little boy says as he stares Jack down. "Punctuality is a good quality in a man. At least that's what Uncle Dean says. I'm supposed to let you in."

Jack blinks down at the kid a couple of times, and then kneels down to be at Carson's level, careful not to get anything on his black button up. "Well, just because you're supposed to doesn't mean you will. So what do I have to do to be allowed inside."

Carson stares at Jack for a moment, and then crosses his little arms over his chest. "You have to answer one question."

Jack nods his head. "I can do that."

"Do you love Ray Ray?"

Jack knows his mouth falls open at the little boy's words, and he knows that he looks like a complete idiot. But really, how in the world is he supposed to answer _that_? It's the first date!

Thankfully, Dean comes to the rescue before Jack regains control of his vocal chords and says something really stupid that he'll regret later in life. The oldest Winchester scoops the six-year-old up into his arms and ruffles his nephew's hair affectionately.

"Did I do a good job, Uncle Dean?" Carson asks with nothing but pure adoration in his young voice. "I tried to scare him just like you said."

Dean let's out a loud laugh, but nods proudly at the kid. "You sure did, little man. Now go find your dad and tell him what a bad influence I am on you."

The oldest Winchester sets the kid onto the hardwood floor and watches Carson run off in search of his father before turning towards the teen still standing in shock on the front porch. "Hey, Jack."

"You set me up!" Jack accuses with no real malice. "You actually _set me up_!"

Dean scoffs and steps aside so Jack can enter the home, closing the door behind the teen. "Of course I did. It's my job as a father to freak out the seventeen-year-old coming to take my daughter on a date." He then changes his stance to a much more intimidating stance that mimics Carson's earlier pose. "Now, Jack, there are a few ground rules we need to cover."

"Yes, sir," Jack quickly answers with a respectful nod of his head.

"One, have my girl home by midnight, or I'll kill you," Dean starts, ticking off each point on his fingers. "Two, try anything that she doesn't approve of, and I'll kill you. And three, bring Ray back in the same condition you took her out in, or…"

Jack gulps as Dean trails off. "Or you'll kill me?"

"Hell no. We'll just cut your _little man _off and feed it to the hell hounds," comes the girlish reply with the southern twang from down the hall.

"Alabama!" Dean admonishes, but can't stop the smile that spreads across his face. When Jack gives him a startled look, Dean simply shrugs his shoulders. "Girl has a point. A crude point, but a point none the less."

Alabama saunters up to the two men standing in front of the doorway and gives Jack a once over. "Jeans, casual yet classy. And a black button up, which means the boy has taste. And then there's the motorcycle boots, which means he's not stupid and knows he needs to be prepared for a fight no matter what, now that he knows the truth." She pauses for a moment and taps her chin thoughtfully. "I'd give the overall look a seven."

"In those jeans, I'd give him an eight point five," Andy comments with a grin as he steps into the room with Lucas close behind. Jack whips around with wide eyes, but smiles as soon as he catches sight of the other teens joking smile. "Hey, Jack. Rayan will be down in a second."

"No, Rayan will be down _now_," comes the light voice from the top of the stairs, and Jack watches in awe as the Winchester girl descends the stairs in a green dress and black leather jacket that he swears was made specifically for her.

Rayan's hair is falling in dark blonde waves across her shoulders, and there's just a dusting of light makeup around her green eyes. Jack can't help but stare.

"You look beautiful," he manages to choke out, and Rayan blushes in response to the praise.

"Thanks. You don't look half bad yourself."

Dean grunts and slaps Jack a little forcefully on the shoulder. "Eyes back in your head, kid," he growls before walking over to his daughter. "You have your gun, right? And the extra salt and holy water? What about the protection necklace Bobby gave you last week after the attack?"

"Seriously, Dad?" Rayan whines as she playfully shoves at her father's shoulder. "I have everything, okay? So Jack and I are just going to head out now."

The young Winchester tries to dodge around the small group that has formed in the entryway, but is blocked when Dean quickly steps in front of her. Before Rayan (and Jack, for that matter) has a chance to protest, Dean quiets her by holding a finger in the air.

"I just want to say that you look a _hell _of a lot like your Grandma right now."

The comment surprises Rayan, because Mary Winchester has been a taboo subject in the house for as long as she can remember. But Rayan takes the compliment in stride and wraps her arms around her father's waist for a brief moment, conveying _thank you_ and _I love you_ all in the same moment.

Dean reluctantly lets his daughter go when she starts to pull away, and then steps back to allow her access to the front door and ultimately the young man anxiously awaiting her. It sends a stabbing pain shooting through his chest knowing that his daughter's growing up, but he does it anyway.

"You all set?" Jack asks when Rayan finally reaches him.

"More than ready," Rayan agrees as she grabs his hand and hauls the boy out of the front door.

* * *

><p><strong>HATE ME! Hate me all you want for this being so late and everything. I will take it all. I'm so sorry that this took me so long, but school has been crazy and tonight was my first chance to actually sit down and write. I wanted to write so much more, but it's getting late and I have an early class and I figure that this was better than nothing.<strong>

**We've got Jack and Rayan's date to witness and then it's time for the summoning of Death. Should be a good time, and I hope y'all stick around to witness it.**

**P.S., I know I don't deserve it, but reviews would be lovely if possible. I still want to know what y'all think about the story.**

**Fallen.**


	10. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

"So where are you taking me?" Rayan questions as she and Jack walk towards his truck that has been washed and waxed to shiny perfection. Jack simply looks at the smaller girl, who he is stilled pleased to find holding his hand, and smiles a mischievous smile.

"Now Winchester, you don't want me to ruin the surprise, do you?" When Rayan nods her head up and down quickly, Jack throws his head back in amused laughter. "Well I hate to break your heart, darlin', but you're not getting a word out of me."

Rayan isn't giving up that easily, and decides to implement the old saying "go big or go home." So she widens her green eyes and juts out her bottom lip _just enough_ to make it a pout. It's the perfect imitation of her the look her Uncle Sam used on her father whenever he wanted something, even to this day.

Rayan thinks it's a sure-fire way of getting the location of their date out of Jack, but she's stunned when the teen simply shakes his head back and forth.

"Valiant effort," he jokes as he holds the truck door open for Rayan and helps her up into the cab. "But next time, you might want to not widen the eyes so much. It gives away what your intentions are."

Jack shuts the door to the truck, playfully ignoring the wounded look Rayan is sending his way, and makes his way over to the driver's side. Rayan lets him hop into his seat and get his buckle on before hounding him further.

"All right, so the patented 'Sam Winchester puppy-of-doom face' didn't work, but I'm still not giving up. What do I need to do to find out where we're going?"

Jack purses his lips in thought as he starts up the old truck and begins to drive out of the salvage yard. It isn't until they've hit the highway that he address her question.

"Well, they way I see it, we have two options. One, you can sit tight and wait until we get there," Jack indicates as he holds up a finger. When Rayan simple stares at him, he continues. "Or two, you can ask three questions _other _than 'where are we going' and I will answer them truthfully. You can try and guess that way."

Rayan finds this compromise acceptable, and begins to think about what questions she could ask. It's while she's lost in thought that her hand begins to creep towards Jack's, which is resting idly on the bench seat in between the two teens. When their fingers touch, Rayan swears her face doesn't turn four shades of red. But Jack doesn't seem to mind the contact, and solidifies it by entwining his calloused fingers with her smaller ones.

"Are we going to be doing normal date things?" Rayan asks, willing her voice not to shake.

"Define 'normal,'" Jack requests as he glances over at Rayan.

"You know, movie and a meal type of thing."

Jack nods his head up and down before answering. "There will be a movie and food." Even though what he says seems normal, Rayan can see the glint in his eye that says otherwise. She mentally notes that Jack is good at playing with words to make them say what he wants.

"Will there be other people there?" she asks as she absentmindedly plays with the silver ring on Jack's middle finger.

"A few," Jack answers as he merges off of the highway and onto a smaller back road. "But they're mainly going to be workers. Other than that it'll just be me and you."

"All right," Rayan acknowledges before going quiet again. Because she's noticed that the ring on his finger has tiny etches written in it. They were probably once words, but time and wear have smoothed them down to undistinguishable grooves.

She must have gone quiet for longer than was normal, because Jack's voice breaks her out of her thoughts. "We're almost there. You'd better ask your last question before it's too late."

"Where'd you get this ring?"

She must surprise him, because he turns a curious stare towards her. "What does my ring have to do with our date?"

Rayan smiles and simply taps the ring on his finger. "My question, my decision. Now answer."

Jack nods, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "It's my granddad's wedding ring," he notes as he turns into the parking lot of a plain warehouse building. Rayan ignores that they've stopped and remains focused on Jack's story. "Him and my grandmamma were married for sixty-one years, but he lost this ring right around the fifty-year mark. He wanted to get a new one but she wouldn't let him. Said that 'a silly old ring didn't represent their marriage.'"

"You're grandma sounds like a strong woman," Rayan interjects, scooting closer to Jack on the bench seat.

"She was," Jack agrees, nodding his head up and down. "Took care of my Granddad right to the bitter end. He died of skin cancer when I was fifteen, and my grandmamma died of a broken heart six months later. They had the ultimate love story."

Rayan allows a small smile to grace her features. "I'm sure it was. But that doesn't explain how you get the ring if he'd lost it all those years ago."

"That's the funny part," Jack comments as he gently touches the cold metal. "The day we buried my granddad, I was taking a walk through one of the back fields on his farm and found this in the dirt. One of the plows had dug it up after all those years. I tried to give it to my grandmamma, but she told me to keep it. Said it would remind me how to love a girl right when I found one."

When Jack finishes his story, he glances up at Rayan shyly, his blue eyes dancing with some emotion she can't identify. But her heart flip-flops in her chest, so it must be something good. The moment lasts for a little while, but Jack quickly shakes himself out of the stare that the two teens have going and brings them back to the present.

He hops out of the truck and walks around to open Rayan's door for her.

"_This_ is where the big date's going down?" she asks skeptically. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

"Well, shooting ranges generally have to be," Jack responds as he grips Rayan's hand and begins tugging her towards the buildings entrance.

"A shooting range? _Really?_" Rayan gasps in a breathy laugh. It's the best idea she's ever had someone come up with in a while. "You know me so well!"

Jack laughs and pushes open the steel door, guiding Rayan into the building first. "I figured you'd find the typical dinner and a movie thing boring and I need to work on my aim now that I need to worry about all things evil trying to bite me in the ass. So I figured a little bit of practice couldn't hurt either of us."

"Don't worry, Jack, I'll give you some pointers," Rayan teases as she bumps into Jack's shoulder. The older boy gives her a mock-offended look, but doesn't respond because the pair are interrupted by a balding man with a moustache.

"Jesus Devil, I thought I told you to be here by 8:30?" the man grouches as he shakes Jack's hand.

"Sorry Larry, we got held up in traffic."

"We're in god forsaken Sioux Falls, Jack. There is no traffic!" Rayan giggles at the sharp banter between the two, which turns Larry's attention her way. "You must be Miss Winchester."

"That'd be me," she acknowledges as she shakes the older man's hand.

"Your grandpa helped me out quite a few years ago," Larry notes with a quick smile. "It was with one of your families…specialties." Rayan smiles but doesn't question the man further, mainly because she doesn't want this night to be about the supernatural or her families "business."

Jack must sense Rayan's unwillingness to continue to conversation and picks up where she's left off. "So Larry, you got that movie ready for us?"

"Sure do, kid. Just come back here in the back."

Rayan's not sure what she expects when she enters the small room, but it's definitely not an old wooden bench parked in front of an thirteen inch crica-1988 television with a paused grainy movie still that reads "GUN SAFETY FOR DUMMIES" in big bold letters.

"Gun safety?" she asks with an amused smile on her face. "Jack, I'm pretty sure watching this would be a moot point."

"I know, I know," Jack grouches as he roots around behind the old TV. "But if we want to shoot, we have to watch. And besides, I brought snacks!"

The teen emerges from behind the TV with a large bowl of Mike & Ike's and skittles all mixed together. Rayan is pretty sure she's died and gone to heaven at the sight of the colorful, sugary goodness.

"That's my favorite!" she demands as she greedily reaches for the bowl as soon as Jack settles beside her on the bench. "How in the world did you know?"

"A little birdie who also happens to be gay and your best friend," Jack responds with a smile.

"Remind me to buy him a Butterfinger in the near future," Rayan says serious before popping a little green piece of candy into her mouth. Then she turns a serious eye towards the TV. "But right now, let's watch this monstrosity of an instruction manual. I want to shoot something."

"Anything you want, my lady," Jack teases as he hits play.

* * *

><p><em>BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.<em>

The shots go off in quick succession, and then Rayan is lowering her handgun with a satisfied smirk on her face. Jack is bringing the target forward, gaping incredulously at the five perfect circles directly in the targets forehead.

"I'm officially embarrassed," Jack notes as he peers through one of the small holes. "I have been outshot by my date."

"Don't be jealous, darling," Rayan teases, placing a quick peck on Jack's cheek that leaves the boy blushing. "You'll be as good as me someday."

Jack carefully swipes the gun from Rayan's hands and puts it on the stand in front of them before playfully growling and lunging at the girl, wrapping his arms around her waste and tickling her sides.

"Take it back, hotshot," Jack shouts over the sound of Rayan's laughter.

"Stop…stop!" Rayan shrieks in response, trying desperately to squirm out of Jack's embrace. When he doesn't relent, the young Winchester gives in. "Okay, okay! I take it back!"

The tickling immediately ceases, but Jack's arms remained wrapped around Rayan's slim waist. Both teens are breathing heavily from their little tickle war, but the smiles are evident on both of their young faces.

"At least I can beat you at something," Jack notes with a laugh.

Rayan chuckles along with him and playfully bats at his arm in protest. "It's only because I let you!"

Jack huffs and squeezes Rayan in a quick hug before releasing her, and not two seconds later Larry moves himself through the doorway into the shooting range.

"Hate to cut you kids off, but it's closing time."

"It's eleven already?" Jack asks in surprise, glancing down at his watch quickly to confirm the time.

"No kid, I'm just pulling your leg," the older man snaps back. He begins ushering them towards the front door and out towards the parking lot. "Yes, it's eleven! Not get this pretty lady home before her family starts to worry about her. And for pete's sake walk her to the gosh darn door like a gentlemen instead of the barbarian that you are!"

With that, Larry securely shuts the steel door on the two teens, leaving them in the middle of the parking lot.

After a few moments pause, Rayan glances up at Jack with a serious expression. "You have weird acquaintances."

"Says the girl who hunts ghosts for a living," Jack teases with a laugh. Rayan just glares at him for a moment, but soon her own smile is playing on her lips. "He was right about one thing though. I need to get you home."

* * *

><p>Rayan spends the entire trip back to the salvage yard curled up against Jack's side in a companionable silence. She knows that if her father saw her riding in a vehicle like this with no seatbelt on, he'd be pissed as hell. But she figures that he's not here right now, and she'd rather be curled up next to Jack then all the way across the cab of the truck.<p>

When Jack pulls the truck to a stop in front of the porch and helps her down out of the cab, the fluttery feeling returns to her stomach. It increases tenfold when he grabs Rayan's hand and walks her directly to the front door.

The pair stands awkwardly in front of the doorway for a moment, avoiding eye contact and blushing profusely. Rayan can't help but wonder if this is the moment she's been waiting for since laying eyes in Jack in the hospital all those months ago.

She _really _wants this to be the moment.

"I…I had a great time tonight," she stutters softly, inwardly cursing how her voice shakes.

"Me too," Jack responds, nodding his head up and down. Another beat passes, and then he's speaking again. "Iwouldliketokissyou."

"What?" Rayan asks, completely missing the jumble of words Jack has just spewed.

The teen clears his throat and repeats the words more clearly. "I said…I would like to kiss you. Would that be okay?"

Rayan is dumbfounded for a moment because this is _the moment_. All she can do is nod her head yes in response. And it only takes that little bit of approval for Jack to lean forward.

This is far from Rayan's first kiss. There was Alex in seventh grade at the football game, and then Troy her freshman year. There were others, but this one right here, is perfect. Jack is perfect. He's soft and sweet and not overly eager like some of the other guys Rayan's kissed. He's a perfect gentleman, and Rayan loves every second of it.

Not even the shadow of six protective family members peering out from behind the curtains of the large front window can dampen the moment.


	11. Hate Me Later

"Would you just get in the car, Dad?" Rayan groans as she shoves her father a step closer to the Impala. "Uncle Cas is going to be here the whole time. And you know as well as I do that Gramps _needs _to be at that doctors appointment today."

Dean doesn't look convinced. "I don't know, Ray. Sam said he'd take Bobby in for his last treatment –"

"You know Uncle Sam has been planning his trip to the zoo with Carson for weeks," Rayan argues. "It's not fair to ask him to give that up now."

Rayan watches her father pause, sigh, and then reach down for the Impala's door handle. She watches with baited breath as he slowly pulls the door open, but has to stifle a scream of frustration when Dean doesn't get in.

"What about the parts, huh? Those are seriously important parts I have coming in today."

"Dean," Cas growls, only mildly showing his annoyance at the situation, "Lucas can handle the pick up, and I will protect the children." The angel keeps his blue-eyed gaze on his friend until Dean silently gives in and slides into his car.

"Just…be careful, okay? We'll be home soon."

Rayan smiles in relief and nods her agreement. Then, she leans down through the open driver's side window and speaks to Bobby. "Good luck today, Gramps. Sorry I can't go to keep you company."

"Bull," the old man grumbles with a playful smirk that goes against his age. "You're jumping for joy that you get to stay here and enjoy your afternoon, darlin'."

Rayan smiles, but inside she's full of nothing but guilt. She can sense Alabama and Andy shifting uneasily behind her as well, and the young Winchester just hopes that they're not too obvious that they're up to something. She hates lying to her family, but it's always the worst when she's lying to Bobby.

The three teens and Cas watch as the Impala takes off down the driveway, and no one moves until the growl of the engine can no longer be heard. Then it's a flurry of movement and nervous chatter as Andy and Rayan run into the house to collect all of the supplies they need to perform the spell while Alabama moves into the garage to clear a space for the big show.

Cas remains stoic and unhelpful, refusing to actually take part in the whole process. Rayan figures it's because he feels bad enough about lying to Dean, Bobby, and Sam without actually partaking in the actually ritual.

Of summoning Death.

That part has Rayan a little more freaked out than she originally anticipated. Sure, she was all gung-ho a year ago when this whole plan started to take shape. But now…well now she's not so sure it's such a grand idea.

This is _Death _they're planning on messing with. The one being on the entire planet that controls whether she lives to see eighteen or not. He's kind of an intimidating dude.

"Winchester, get your ass in gear!" Rayan hears Alabama yelling from outside, which snaps Rayan out of her thoughts and back into the game. She finishes gathering up the last few items from under the loose floorboard in her room and quickly follows Andy out of the house and down into the garage.

Alabama's managed to clear away the empty oil cans and spare hubcaps in the far corner of the garage so that there was enough room for her to draw a complicated pattern on the concrete floor with chalk. Rayan thinks it's odd seeing such a large area so empty of all her father's workday necessities.

And sets right to work, throwing things into one of the large mixing bowls from inside the house, completely ignoring the anxious looks Rayan and Alabama keep sending his way. Instead, he keeps looking back and forth to different sections of his handwritten translation of the ritual.

The process takes several minutes, and Rayan is starting to twitch with anticipation. She doesn't remember anything taking this long before.

Finally, Andy stands and brushes the dirt off his hands with a couple sweeps across his jeans. "That should just about do it," he declares, turning a serious eye on his friends. "All that's left is to say the magic words and hope that something comes out of this whole game we've been playing."

Before anyone can say anything more, the now familiar grumble of Jack's pickup makes its way up the driveway. Rayan curses under her breath and hurries out of the garage to meet him.

Jack hops out of the pickup once it's parked and jogs over to meet Rayan halfway with a big grin on his face. The teenager sweeps the young Winchester up into a hug and plants a kiss on her cheek, and for a minute Rayan forgets all about the waiting ritual back in the garage.

Instead, she focuses on the feel of Jack's arms around her waist and the steady heartbeat she can feel pounding away in his chest. It's scary for her to think about how fast she's fallen for the sweet boy from Texas, but she also knows the whole situation is pretty damn thrilling as well.

"What are you doing here?" she asks as she finally pulls herself slightly away from his embrace. "I thought Dad told you that he wasn't going to be here this afternoon for lessons."

"He might have mentioned something like that," Jack answers with a coy smile. "But I figured that was all the more reason to come see you."

His answer's cute and makes Rayan smile, but she's also well aware of the fact that her father would kill her if she knew a boy had come to visit her while he wasn't home, no matter how fond he is of Jack. Add that to the fact that her and her friends are in the middle of summoning a seriously dangerous supernatural being, and she's pretty sure the last thing she's looking for from Jack is a sweet gesture.

"Listen, I think it's super adorable that you drove out here just to see me because you knew my overbearing and insanely protective father wouldn't be here," Rayan begins with a groan as she lightly starts to push Jack back towards his truck. "And I really do wish you could stay. But you seriously can _not _be here right now."

The young Winchester gives Jack some credit, because in the short time they've known one another he can already tell when she's up to something no good. The teen digs his boots into the ground, effectively stopping Rayan's efforts to make him leave.

"You're totally doing something your dad would get pissed about, aren't you?" he questions with a smirk on his face. "Are you, Andy, and Alabama planning another hunt? Because as awesome as I think that is, I really don't think it's a good idea."

"We're not hunting," Rayan answers. It's not really a lie, but she can't help staring down at her boots in a guilty manner anyway. "Not really."

Jack drops the smirk from his face and takes a step closer to Rayan, gently placing a hand on her waist. "What's the matter, Ray? You in some kind of trouble…again?"

Rayan has to smile at that, because the implication that she can't seem to stay out of harm's way is all too accurate. "Would you just let it drop and head home for the afternoon if I just said 'you don't want to know?'"

"Hell no."

"Fine," Rayan sighs, because she just doesn't have the time or willpower to fight with her almost-but-not-official boyfriend. "I'm only going to say this once. And it doesn't matter what you say, we're still going through with this. Is that clear?"

Jack nods his head and crosses his heart like an adorable five-year-old kid would.

"We're summoning Death."

Rayan can't really figure out a gentler way to break the news to Jack, so she figures that will have to do. And his reaction was just about what she expected. Adorable confusion morphing into unrestrained horror until finally settling on concerned anger.

"I know I'm new to all this stuff," Jack says in a eerily calm voice. "So I'm going to pretend like Death is some euphemism for unicorns and not the _grim reaper_!"

Rayan winces guiltily and that sets Jack off into a pacing swirl of muttered curses. After a few moments, the teen seems to settle down enough to face Rayan again.

"You're not doing this."

And that sets Rayan off, so the young Winchester crosses her arms and locks her steely green eyes on Jack. "Excuse me? I'm pretty sure I made it clear that it doesn't matter what you say, because we're doing this. And just for the record, I don't like being told what to do!"

"You need to be told what to do when you're going to do something _stupid_!" Jack retorts with an angry snort. "You're going to get yourself killed."

"It's perfectly safe," Rayan demands, and even though she's lying she's too angry to care. "And what would you know about it anyway? You've been studying this stuff for what, a week?"

Jack advances towards Rayan and meets her angry gaze with one of his own. "You have a reaper living in your house, Ray. You don't think he's mentioned his scary, _deadly_boss once or twice?"

"Lucas exaggerates," the young Winchester pitifully argues back. She goes quiet for a few moments as she calms herself down before addressing Jack again. "Listen. Me and the guys…we've been working on this for a _year_, Jack. Doing this is the last shot I have at figuring out just what is going on with me. And yes, I know Dad filled you in on my whole 'I see dead people' thing. I have to do this, so please don't stand in my way."

The two stare at each other for a moment, neither willing to back down. Finally, Jack lets out a burst of air and runs his hands through his short hair. Rayan can feel some of the tension leave the air around them.

"You're really set on doing this?" Jack asks in a quiet voice, his blue eyes open and vulnerable. "I can't change your mind?"

Rayan simply shakes her head back and forth.

"Well then…I'm going in with you."

The declaration is a little unexpected to Rayan, who thought that Jack would simply walk away when he didn't get the results he had hoped for.

"What? Are you crazy?" Rayan asks. "I'm not letting you go in there. You're not ready and you could get hurt."

"Oh, just like you can't?" Jack argues back as he steps around Rayan and heads for the garage door. Rayan hurries behind, but doesn't get the other teen to stop until he reaches the piece of steel that separates them from the rest of the group. "Listen, you can get pissed and hate me all you want later. But right now, I'm going in there and I'm gonna stand by your side through this. Because if something happens to you and I could have stopped it, I'll never forgive myself."

With that, Jack pushes the door open and walks into the garage leaving a stunned Rayan behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow. So...it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that. And then, to make matters worse, when I come back to this story it's with a less than par chapter like this one. Someday I might fix it, or I might leave it in all it's less than acceptable glory. But I had a little burst of inspiration and I just felt like something needed to get out.<strong>

**I hope that these updates will start coming regularly again, but I make no promises. And to the people who stuck with me after all this time:**

**Thank you, and I love you all.**

**Fallen.**


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